The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-09

transfer in itself, with strong swell
on, was extremely interesting. There
were two babies among the passengers
and the transfer of these from the
small boats to our steamer added
much to the interest and excitement OF
the occasion. 1t was no easy task
for an able bodied man to catch the
ladder at the proper time and get
aboard our ship, and you can imagine
that with ladies and babies the diff
Guilty was materially increased. But
all were gotten safely aboard at last
and we proceeded on our way. 1t
seemed hard in a sense to lease the
Heredia there, with her sixty passen-
gers, but both captains agreed that
she was perfectly safe from any storm
| that could likely come at this time of
: the year, and that there was no occa.
sion for our standing by any longer
Mildred and | will never forget this
incident, which is not likely to occur
again in our lives.
| You will all be interested also to
know some facts i'll regard to the
banana business. The best bananas
that come into this country are from
Costa Rica, from the farms of the
United Fruit company. They have
about eighty thousand acres under cul-
tivation, and there is about as much
more under cultivation by private par
ties, all of which is handled bv the
L. +. company. Our boat lay all day
Wednesday cath at Limon loading
with bananas, which constituted its
entire cargo northbound. We took
on board seven and one half millions
of bananas, worth in New Orleans at
wholesale, from fifty to sixty thousand
dollars. We were fortunate enough to
be the guests of the captain OH a trip
rendered him and his wife by the
company, a private observation car and
locomotive being placed at his disposal
He only invited two others besides
Mildred and me, SO you can readily
see that we six had magnificent OPP
portunity for seeing the banana plan
tations. We went about twenty miles
into the interior, where an elegant
monday meal was served us at the
headquarters of the superintendent of
twenty thousand acre division After
breakfast at ! p. M, we were put
aboard paymaster's private car, with
light engine, which could run over
all the spur tracks throughout the
farm. We spent the entire day thus,
returning to the ship at about D. III.
| The banana plant grows to height
of from ten to twenty feet; each
plant grows one bunch of bananas and
is then cut down. This maturity re-
qures Il period of from nine to twelve
months, and each bunch of bananas
costs the I. +. company about IL
cents to raise, and brings about 80
specific planting after the first plant
ing, the new plants coming from
sprouts from the old roots. It is
chiefly a problem of thinning out the
sprouts SO that they will not grow too
thickly. The crop ripens throughout
the year, and each section is gone
over every month. At 80 cents a
bunch the private raisers realize about
$40 per acre per annum, half of which
at least is clear profit. There is nc
more banana land available in that
section now, but the highest price of
land in previous sales was $50 a
hectare 1.-TWO and one half acres), or
$50 an acre. The profit per acre, there
never allowed to ripen on the plant
because in That process the skin bursts
and fermentation spoils the fruit
They must be cut green and delivered
at the American port in same condi-
ton. being afterwards ripened by
wholesale or retail purchasers. In the
case of our steamer they are prevented
from ripening during the week of sea
transportation by refrigerating appara
tus, which keeps the hold at low
temperature. On the trip just prior
to the one we made, something got
out of order with the refrigcrating APP
paratus, the bananas ripened during
the week of sailing and the entire car
go mad to be thrown overheard
| might write on indefinitely with
out exhausting the items of interest
and information incident to the trip,
but the above will perhaps give you
all general idea of the important
features. Mildred brought home with
her parrot purchased in Panama
which is now in process of education
along higher lines of intellectual con-
versation. We threatened to bring
home monkey, but feared maternal
displeasure and therefore left the
monkey behind. The trip was certainly
a most delightful one. We were gone
twenty-one days from here. fifteen of
which were spent on the water Wish
we might have mad all the members
of the circle along with us. With
love to all, l.. C.. II.
ADDENDA.
Stories are numerous as to the in
stances of extravaganza and wasteful-
ness on the part of the DeLesseps COM
pany Among their purchases made for
the use of the railroad, was one thou
sand snow shovcls, which had about
as much chance of use as tooth picks
i'll poultry yard. The private resi-
rio Tep of fbo J;,anf,r ,YonaroI ft,,l.,,,