The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-02-03
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The people Df the United States
consumed over $1,000, 900 worth Of fin.
ported bananas Ia 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
Mo markets Of the United States
Comment ~ unnecessary upon what
thia trade has done for jamaica, par
ticularly since the decline IN the sugar
industry. Banana growing Is to-day
ono Of the most profitable industries
IN that Island. Notwithstanding the
fact that tornadoes sometimes destroy
whole Fields. Further. the indirect IN
flnenco which thIa trade has had upon
tourist travel can not be easily estI.
inased. The frequent paaaage or steam
ers has attracted thousands ot people
% the West Indies to spend the win
ter.
Why should not. the Hawaiian
Islands take some more considerable
part In this large and increasing IN.
duRtry and commerce? This ID a cues.
ton worthy Of careful consideration.
THIS territory possesses soils and
climate admirably adapted 10 the
growth of bananas, 1t also "a 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
tho main land Of our own country. Is
af Hawail'a doors.
The banana plant il used IN an al
most infinite number of ways. Nearly
every partof II II put 10 several uses.
10 describe these IN full would require
a small publication IN Itself Here
only brief mention can be- made OF
some Of them
Tho ripe fruit is known to most
northern people simply as an article
Of deaeert-a mere incidental 10 a
well provided table In tropical coun
tries, however, It Is a staple article Of
food, the native population frequently
being quite dependent upon II. It Il
eaten not only raw but cooked IN a
grpat variety Of ways. The unrIpe
fruit ~ also cooked, some yarletles
being better In this way than when
rponed. Some varieties are especial.
~ 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
che markets.
hAnAna hour o. meal Is made By re.
duclng tho dFleO fruit 10 a powder.
Other secondary products that have
been made from bananas are preserved
ripe frult, alcohol, vinegar and wine
The fruItbud Of some varieties is
cooked and eaten and Is said TO be
very good The flowers. fruits and
CORN or rootatook are said 10 have
medicinal value. The corn ia nlso
used aa food for stock az Is also the
part Of the fruit stem inside the
trunk" The latter is also used al
food by the natives OF some tropical
countries.
The leaves have been used as fod.
der for stock and Prof. fIllgard states
that they contain nearly as much al.
pumlnolds as average meadow hay.
The libre OF the leaves OF the or.
dlnnry bananas has long attracted at
tention and continues to do SO. That
of the aooalled fbre banana tMusa
ro4lilis), as Is well known. Ia the
aouce OF tho Manila hemp OF com
mefee and Is one Of the most valuable
lbros IN The market
The banana flhra while OF fair ouai.
~ and adapted 10 some uses Is no in.
fsFiof % that Of Musa textllls that tho
iormer does not ma ready market
except when the latter is scarce and
tho price very high. It then brings
only hair the price Of Manila hemp Il
~ lniorlor both in strength and luster
The Hawaiian banana trade had It's
;ssisisissssis bsiween &c ana 90 wears
azo Az early AZ the year 1854 80
eofdlns 10 Thrum'a Hawaiian Annual
there wore t2t punches OF bananas ex.
ported from these islands. Probably
thoao we're the aFal OF the Chinese
variety 70 be shipped from here. since
Hlllohfand records that this speoies az
HaHa was first brought to us from
Tahiti about the year 1856. M the
year i4ea only so hanches we're OK.
ported but from thla time onward the
trade Increased slowly until Il reached
is maximum e the year 1896. IN
ttit year the export amounted to ie6..
tia hunches, The next three wears
show q considerable decrease Ia this
export From that date to tho pres.
eAi llne there a9e 10 figures 10 show
the aiso oi he shipments. Tor since