The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-13
MAGNITUDE OF
BANANA BUSINESS
Some Surprising Figures indi-
eating Amount of This Fruit
Produced by One Firm.
$4,000, 100000 INVESTED IN IT
And the Industry Is Yet in Its In
fancy-Utah People Have
Good Thing.

To show the gigantic nature of the
enterprise engaged in by the Tampi-
10 Fruit company of this city. and the
faith that capitalists have in the bana-
ma industry. it is noted that the United
Fruit company of Mexico has 10000
OO0 invested il. this one business
In the financial statement of the an
nual report of this company they state
that the number of punches of bananas
handled by their company for the fis-
cal year reached a total of 23,413. S96
punches. During the preceding twelve
months they handled 1885. 572. This
shows gain by only one company of
nearly 100000 punches in the last
year. Just think of it-twenty-three
and one-half million punches OF bana-
mas imported by one company in one
year-and the industry is still in its in
fancy.
The uses TO which bananas may be
put are mary. In addition to being
used as fresh fruit, they can he
made into a very fine grade of pastry
flour
Banana flour is already an important
Industry. and holds an important place
in tho coTlmerciti world.
j. II. Pennington, promoter of tire
enterprise at Havana. and who had
several tons Of the product on exhibit
ton at the st. Louis exposition. said:
The experiments which have been go
ing on for the last few months at Puer-
to Principe have shown that We have
been wrong in our figures all along. be-
cause We have been able to produce
the floor and the many other products
from the BONANZA much cheaper than we
calculated upon. We could not be more
encouraged than we are at the result
shown by these experiments.
With reference to the value of the
paTticulaH tract of land secured by the
Tampico company. We reproduce parts
of letter from Dr.. G. NJ. Harrison, a
resident of Panuco. near Tampico. who
has resided in Mexico for more than IA
years. DR.. Harrison had charge of
the hospital at Tampico during the time
the government was building the jetties
and wharf at that place. in which
nearly so 100000 was expended. The
letter follows:
Mr.. F. r. South, Sec.y Tampico Fruit
Co, Salt Lake City Utah:
Dear Sir-Answering yours of the
5th jst received. I would say it gives
me pleasure to know you are going into
the banana business in our vicinity.
]. too, am doing the same thing with
my place near Panuco.
The climate is all right, and the ship
ping facilities better than any places
where bananas are grown. I have raised
every class of bananas ] have ever
planted. and I have planted every va
riety l could get. and have been grow
ing bananas there for il years.
You ought to raise on one acre 600
punches per year, and being nearer the
market than / am you will be able to
get better price for your bananas
than / get for mine.
AS to health down there, ] would say
ii IS malarial country, and that is
about ali. L was in charge Of the Amer
lean hospital for two years during the
construction of the jetties and the
Mexican Central railway, and after
wards for IA years practiced my pro-
fession here. and I take pleasure in
saying that | think the chances for
longevity are as good there as almost
anywhere. You viii find no typhoid
typhus. very little rheumatism or heart
troubles. In fact. you will find an ex-
emption from many diseases found in
other parts. As far as malaria is con-
cerned, you Will find it can be avoided
by taking anti-malaries, for never
suffered day with It. nor did my
family. There is no yellow fever there
though they have had epidemics i'm
Tampico For fifty years they have
not had case iii Panuca where nv
place is located.
! think / have answered all your in
auiries, but if there is any other ques-
ton you want me to answer and can.
| viii BE- glad to give you the benefit of
what ! know of that country.
Wishing you every prosperity in your
new undertaking. l am, yours truly.
(Signed) c. NJ HARRISON