Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-02-03

plorations OF the Orinoco basin he
found variety of the banana extern
sively cultivated by the Indians. Gar
cilasco de la Vega tells us they form
ed the staple food of the natives In
the warmer zones when the Incas
reigned. Curiously enough. with all
this worldwide growth. the plant is
very rarely found in the Wild state.
This is due to the fact that bananas
are seedless, being propagated by
means OF shoots or suckers" The
cultivation of this fruit is not difficult
the hindrances of successful crops
coming from heavy winds. pernicious
activity of gophers, and sometimes
caterpillars. Recently a disease. the
cause of which is uncertain. has at
tackled the bananas of Dutch Guiana
and Panama. The net profit per acre
of banana crop is put at $50, al
though much higher claims are made
by land companies.
AS a food the banana deserves wild
er recognition by the people of tenn
perate climes. for 1t contains very
high proportion of nutriment, closely
approximating the potato In it's chem
zeal composition.
1t is the basic food supply OF mil
lions in the tropics, and there is no
good reason why 1t should not find a
permanent place in the daily menus
of the inhabitants of temperate coun-
tries. Bananas can be appeuzingly
cooked in various ways, while in these
days OF costly living their compare
tive cheapness should recommend
them to the thrifty housewife. who
seeks to curtail grocers' bills.
The by-products of the banana are
few; still. in santo Domingo a dell
cious sweetmeat is made from thor
oughly ripe fruit The skins are re-
moved and the banana cut into slices
about a quarter of an inch In thick
ness. These pieces are sprinkled with
fine or powdered sugar and placed in
sun. laid out on clean boards or shall
low trays. As the fruit dries out It is
turned over several times and each
time again busted with sugar. 1t dries
within few days and the result is
crystallized conserve most delightful
to the taste.
Banana -four is a by-product that in
time may prove to be of commercial
value, for 1t is very nutritious and not
inferior to corn meal. 1t is made by a
simple process. Unripe bananas are
cut and dried. then ground and sifted.
and the fruit treated in this way yields
twenty to twenty-five per cent. flour.
The chief difficulty encountered in
a a l. h.
color. For this reason the apparatus
used must be either OF aluminium OF
silver, for iron turns the -four black.
Small quantities are now exported to
Great Britain. Another by-product is
fiber, from which a coarse cloth is
woven, while banana vinegar, sugar.
and coffee attest other possible ways
OF treating the fruit. In Mexico the
fiber is also used in the manufacture
OF hammocks. The question OF the
by-product is a very important one in
this commercial age OF ultimate profit,
so he who discovers a practical use
for the understood lunches and waste
of a banana plantation will remove
one element OF chance that operates
most disadvantageously against the
planter. The nutritive value OF the
banana is very high. as has already
been inferred. The chemical analysis
OF the United States department OF
agriculture gives the fruit a full value
per pound Of 400 calories. which is
more than three times that of cabbage.
Too much publicity cannot be given
this fact, for It may have a direct
bearing In the future on the alimenta-
ton OF the poorer people.
There are some forty-four varieties
Of the banana. Of which number the
plantain (musa paradisiaca) and the
abaca (musa textilis) deserve further
special mention. The former is the
platano Of Latin America. the daily
food OF millions. and the latter the
plant from which manila hemp is
made.
The musa is cultivated in every
country OF Pan America, save only the
United States, Uruguay. Chile and Ar
gentina. but the countries bordering
the Caribbean and the Gulf OF Mexico
lead in the amount OF exports.
Despite marvellous growth in the last
decade the banana business Is in it's
infancy, and the next twenty years
Will see an extension OF this industry
that will make It one OF the most i'm
portant phases Of economical develop
ment throughout Pan-America-