Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-02-05
CAZGZeE R4N47VA GZOHIZ\E IN LOW
LAzVDV MIR >AOVQZ>ZZU.

The people Of the United States
CONSUMED over 100000 worth of i'm.
ported bananas in the year 1902. Each
year the importations are increasing
and at the rate of nearly a million
dollars per annum in value. The
west India Bulletin states that in the
height of the season, upwards of 20
steamers per week leave Jamaica
alone laden chiefly with bananas for
the markets of the United States
comment is unnecessary upon what
this trade has done for Jamaica, par
tlcu!arly since the decline in the sugar
INDUSTRY banana growing is to-day
one OF the most profitable industries
IN that island, Notwithstanding the
1act that tornadoes sometimes destroy
whole fields. Further, the indirect in
nuence which this trade has had upon
tourist travel can not be easily esti-
mated. The frequent passage of steam
ers has attracted thousands of people
10 the West Indies to spend the win
ter.
why should not the Hawaiian
islands take some more considerable
part Ill this large and increasing in
dusty and commerce? This is a cues.
ton worthy of careful consideration.
This territory possesses soils and
climate admirably adapted to the
growth OF bananas. It also is free
from tornadoes, the grower thus avoid.
Ing the great losses that come to
planters in some other countries. A
great market, on the Pacific slope of
the main land of our own country. is
at Hawaii's doors.
me banana plant is used in an al
most infinite number of ways. Nearly
every part of it is put to several uses.
10 describe these in full would require
small publication in itself. Here
only brief mention can be made of
some of them.
The ripe fruit is known to most
northern people simply as an article
OF dessert-a mere incidental to a
well provided table. In tropical coun-
tries, however, it is a staple article of
food, the native population frequently
being quite dependent upon it. II is
eaten not only raw but cooked in a
great variety of ways. The unripe
fruit is also cooked, some varieties
being better in this way than when
rlpened. Some varieties are especial
1y adapted for drying and in favorable
climates may be dried by the sun
without resort to artificial means. In
this form, they may be used as are
other dried fruit now so common in
the markets.
Banana flour or meal is made by re.
ducing the dried fruit to powder.
Other secondary products that have
been made from bananas are preserved
ripe fruit, alcohol. vinegar and wine.
The fruit-bud of some varieties is
cooked and eaten and is said to be
very good. The flowers, fruits and
CORN or root-stock are said to have
medicinal value. The CORN is also
used as food for stock as is also the
part of the fruit stem inside the
trunk" The latter is also used as
food by the natives of some tropical
countries.
The leaves have been used as fod.
der for stock and Prof. Hilgard states
that they contain nearly as much al
buminoids as average meadow hay.
The fibre of the leaves of the or.
binary bananas has long attracted at
tention and continues to do so. That
of the so-called fibre banana (Musa
Textilis), as is well known, is the
souce of the Manila hemp of COM
MERGE and is one of the most valuable
ibres in the market.
The banana fibre while of fair dual.
ity and adapted to some uses is so in
ferior to that of Musa textilis that the
former does not find a ready market
except when the latter is scarce and
the price very high. It then brings
only half the price of Manila hemp. It
is inferior both in strength and luster.
The Hawaiian banana trade had it's
beginning between 40 and SO years
ago. AS early as the year 1864, &C.
cording to Thrum's Hawaiian Annual.
there were 121 punches of bananas ex->
Observation-Disclosures ~~~~-~>~~>>,>>>>