The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-08

end the yield was quite as great as
at frst.
Cutting the Fruit.
Now. let us stop and watch them
cutting fruit. This requires skin.
The bananas must not fall on the
ground az the slightest bruise will
make them unht for shipping The
cutting is done BY negroes. who are
skilled in the business They use long
iances with sharp steel blades. and
cut half way through the stem at one
stroke. This makes the bunch fan.
and the cutter catches 1T as 1t gently
drops down. He now cuts off the
rest OF tine stem. and the bunch is
handed TO the men who carry 1t of to
the cars.
suppose It makes your mouth water
to think of eating a banana fresh from
the tree. Such a banana would surely
cause collie The fruit ripens best by
being cut green. and on al these thou
sand acres l cannot see single yell
low banana 1t is only at the ports
that 1 have been able to got fruit to
cat The green bananas will keep two
or three weeks after cutting and n
cut at the right time they taste better
by being allowed TO ripen on the way
to the markets.
Six Thousand workmen.
Many people think that there is but
little labor in raising bananas. There
was never a greater mistake. When
the United Fruit Company took up
these thousands OF acres, they were
covered with n Jungle as dense as that
on the slopes of the Himalaya noun
tains. The ground was covered with
mighty trees, some of which were iho
feet high. These trees were bound
together with vines and lianas. which
were matted together and formed a
network OF woven vegetation. There
were palms OF score OF varieties. and
the mass OF green was so dense that
you could only cut your way through
with a knife and an axe. All of this
Jungle had to zoe cut down and turned
over The big trees, some or which
were as large around as -four barrel,
and some had even the diameter of a
hogshead. were left to rot where they
fell
After the land was cleared and
burned over. the plants had TO be set
out at 200 hills to the acre. They had
10 be kept clean OF weeds. and this.
notwithstanding their nature here Is
So generous that IL the land Is left
free for six months 1t will all be Jungle
again.
And then some OF the lands were
swampy and they had to be ditched.
The rainfall here is ten inches month.
or 1920 inches a year. and the banana
tree will not grow with It's feet IN me
water In some other banana plan
tations the land is so dry that irrl-
cation is needed. hut here the rainfall
Is lust right. In planning the planta-
lions. roads and railroads We're punt.
Farmhouses and homes for the men
were put up at every few miles, ana
blacksmith shops, stores ana onces
were erected.
oeether 1t takes about 5000 men
10 work these plantations. and the
community has TO be housed cared for
and ruled.
How the Labor IL Handled.
Tee most of the men who work on
this banana estate are Jamaica negroes.
who we're brought hare for tile pur-
nose. They live in little shacks scat
tered here and there along the railroad
and they 20 out from them to their
labor The officials and foremen are
whites. and the responsible parts OF
tho work are done by Americans sent
here from the United states. These
men are the best of their kind. ana
they receive excellent wages. the
negroes are paid about the same that
the Jamaicans receive on the Panama
Canal. and their labor Is about as ein-
client.
great deal Of the work Is done by
the piece. and the man gets so m ich
for clearing, so much for planting ana
cleaning and so much for picking the
fruit AS 1t Is now II costs about $50
per acre to clenr the land, and the
managers can tell you iust how much
every plant costs. They have cost
sheets like those OF a great factory and
can ten to the tenth of n cert the
outlay spant on each bunch OF bananas
and where overy cent goes 1t /, only
ny such methods that bananas can be
sold ct the prices they bring in tho
States ana stlll give a profit. The
whole business is one of petty econ
omies. which in the aggregate mean a
saving of hundreds of thousands OF
dollars.
Not n whittiing BusineHs.
AS I walked through the helch and
watched the great green bunches being
cut by the hundreds and carried off to
the cars, ! asked one OF the f1remen
II there would not be big moi.sy for
an American to come here and start a
rival fruit trust. and whether a man
with a small amount OF money could
not engage IN the business at pront.
He replied;
1T might seem 80 IL yo, did not
know the facts. The truth it. that thia
is no whiting business You have
got to have a big capital and enough
TO take care OF all Kinds OF accidents.
Sometimes a disease will wipe out a
plantation. and again n storm blows
mp and we lose the whole crop. Juat a
few ronths ago we had hurricane
4. Al 49,. -