Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-11-21
COMMERCIAL BANANA GROW
ING IN THE COAST
COUNTRY.

by Prof. E. G. Green of Browns
vile, Tex, in charge of South
Texas Gardens:
One of the objects for which
the South Texas Garden was es-
tablished by the Department of
Agriculture is to determine if it
is possible to grow successfully
some of the harder commercial
types of bananas in the southern
part of this state. There seems
to be great promise of success
in this particular line of investi-
cation, inasmuch as there al
ready exist in the Rio Grande
valley certain types of bananas
of good quality. For years the
common Plantain banana has
been raised and fruited as far
north as San Antonio, although
the fruit seldom reached good
edible maturity north of the Rio
Grande. The Plantain, when
fully mature, is fairly good
banana, but tough in texture, a
little too acid for eating out of
hand and not sufficiently prolif-
ic to make it promising as a
possible food crop. AS grown
in the Rio Grande valley the
fruit reaches considerable size
and when properly cooked makes
a very palatable dish. The best
method of preparing them for
the table consists of slicing the
ripe fruit lengthwise in quarter
inch strips, dipping into an egg
batter and frying in deep fat.
When nicely Drowned it is sprin-
killed. with granulated sugar and
served hot. Prepared in this way
the fruit has a very pleasant
taste; the acidity somewhat re-
sembling that of the fried apple.
The banana flavor is very deli
cate and the dish is fit for the
table of an epicure. Another va
riety of banana commonly called
the Lady Finger, is found occa-
sionally on the plantations in
the valley and furnishes a very
delicate, rich fruit for eating out
Of hand. The only objection to
this variety is that it is small,
which makes it undesirable for
commercial purposes. However,
it's excellent quality should Sc
cure for it place in every gar
den in South Texas.
There has been considerable
speculation among those not ia
miliar with the facts concerning
the banana of commerce as to
why this plant should not sue
coed along the Rio Grande. This
banana is strictly tropical
plant, and it is not reasonable
to suppose that it ever will sue
coed in any other than a tropical
environment. The plant produces
no seed, hence there is no oppor-
tunity for crossing it with more
hardy varieties to develop a
strain which would endure the
climatic conditions even in South
Texas. There is, of course, a pos
sibility in the selection of the
off-shoots of this plant, among
thousands of which one might
be found to endure colder eli
matte conditions than it's parent.
However, the chances of success
IRE so remote and the expense of
making the, attempt would be so
great that this method would be
considered impracticable also.
Further, it is not desirable to
start the work of securing va
riety adapted to South Texas
with the tropical commercial
sort as a parent from the fact
that there exist so many other
varieties in the coast country of
Mexico which offer great prom
Use of succeeding few miles
north of their present home. 1t
is the plan of the government to
start the work from the end
which appears to be nearest to
quick and most practical results.
A short distance into Old Mex
leo there are grown certain va
rieties which produce a short,
thick fruit of very excellent quail
ity; in fact, many travellers pre-
fer it to the regular commercial
sort. These Mexican bananas are
raised quite extensively and mar
keted throughout Mexico, and al