The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-24
SOME BANANA FACTS
Interest in This Industry In
creaSing Every Day.
CROP FAILURES UNKNOWN
Cost of Marketing an important Item
Some Plantations Are Better
Located Than Others.

banana raisers are pretty we'll agreed
as TO the number of banana punches an
acre VIII produce. but there seems to
De wide difference in the cost of
marketing the enormous crops pro-
duceG
All agree that six hundred punches is
an average yield. and even that aver
age Will be raised as the culture of this
fruit Is perfected. 1t must be remem-
bered that the average banana plan
tatlon is cultivated i'm a primitive way.
primitive methods prevail to a great
extent. The old One-handle pillow and
the OK yoke tied to the horns is still
very much in evidence, and wagons
are almost unknown in many parts.
With careful cultivation and semi
annual irrigations the yield can be ma
terially increased, to say nothing of the
added quality of the fruit.
Even at the present average the
profits are enormous. Every bunch
VIII bring 80 cents at Tampico, so that
an acres product equals $500 gold at
the point OF shipment.
The plantation operated by the Tam
plco Fruit company, harvest shares in
which are now offered for sale, is
without doubt the best located tract of
any in that fertile region, as it is only
Il miles from the principal shipping
point, TampicO. Indeed, it might be
SAID that the plantation is the ship
ping point. for the Panuco river is half
/ mile wide between TamDico and the
place, and forty feet deep, so that the
ocean steamers used for export to the
| coast cities come right up to the farm.
1t is expected that a wharf will be
| built on the place and every bunch of
bananas loaded right there.
Some idea of the saving this will
mean is gained from these figures. An
average bunch of bananas weighs 70
/ pounds; 600 punches, or one acres crop,
weighs $4,000 pounds. or 81 tons The
cost of loading a ton On a small boat
and relcading again at Tampico is
about 81 ton, or $500 an acre each
year.
The Tampico Fruit company will
save this amount, because of their
| splendid location.
| Figures recently given by DR.. c. NJ.
/ Harrison, who is perhaps the best post
/ ed man on bananas in Mexico. show
that an acre in full yield costs about
/ 500 for expense of operation and
marketing. Deducting S42. the price
saved by the location Of the Tampico
company, and the average cost per
acre is S2l, leaving a net profit of $279
| per acre each year. over 100 per cent
on the investment.
Mr.. Geo. +. Wilcox, having resided
in Mexico over twenty years, after Wis
itinS all Of the banana producing
countries of the south, and after max
ing a thorough study of the various
soils and the culture of bananas, and
after many trips and years of study
of the adaptability of the various loca-
| tons To ETOw bananas, the methods
of operating the plantations and the
mode of shipment, selected this tract
as being the finest in that section. No
man in the WCTld is better qualified to
| judge than Mr.. Wilcox.
Mr. Wilcox says: Il have resided in
| this republic Cor twenty-five years and
l built the Tampico branch of the Mex
| lean Central railroad and am well aC-
| quainted with all the lands in your vi
/ cinity, and consider that you have the
| choicest piece Of land along these
/ rivers"
Inquiries regarding this remarkable
| opportunity are being received daily
at the office Of the company, 327 Dcs-
| eret News Annex.
! J. NJ. Jensen, who viii personally Su-
perintend the work on the plantation
/ is we'll known throughout the state as
most successful horticulturist. Mr.
| Jensen remarked that so great was the
| interest aroused regarding the move
ment that he could hardly get any
| where without being stopped and com
| PEELED TO talk bananas.
/ The company has issued bookle;
| giving full particulars of their invest
ment offer 1t will be sent free for the
asking. Just address Z. r. South, Sec
rotary, TampicO Fruit Co, 327 Deseret