The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-12
LUSCIOUS BANANA
TO PLAY ITS PART
Fruits Popularity May Have Eff
feet on High Cost OF
Living Problem.

Washington, January 11.-Now comes
the luscious banana, to join the ranks
of those who are warning on the high
cost of living. In highly digndhed
report, Consul Julius D. Dreher. of Port
Antonio, Jamaica. has Informed the
State Department that this palatable
and nutritious food is growing so
rapidly and so well that 1t promises
to play a big part in the present
battle against the excessive cost of
living.
Every man, woman and child in the
United States, Alaska and Hawaii ate
five dozen bananas during the past
year II the consuI's figures are to be
believed. Six billion dozens of the
fruit were imported into this country.
the greater majority of them by one
concern.
Outside of the tropics the banana
has been utilized as a food for only
about two-score years To-day ali the
world knows the fruit and it is used
in every form from the raw to the
highly cooked state
The banana supply Of the United
States in 1911 was received from the
following countries: Jamaica, 15.4e7.-
s1s punches; Honduras. 7.i51.17s: Costa
Rica. T.053,664; Panama 1881 800; Cuba,
2.47s,5s1; Nicaragua, 2.27O.100: Guata-
maIa- 2,017,65o; Colombia, 1.5f29SS;
Mexico, s17.00s; British Honduras. $751;
$50: Dominican Republic. 100000;
Dutch Guiana, 2s1.55s; and other coun
tries, 1925 punches.
The development OF the banana bust
ness began when Captain l. d. Baker.
of Boston, returning from voyage up
the Orinoco River in Venezuela, called
at Port Morant. Jamaica, for a cargo.
of bamboo. BY chance he took aboard
several punches of bananas. Although
these were not the first bananas to
be taken into the United States. it is
to the foresight of Captain Baker that
the great fruit business of to-day was
established at such an early date.
While Jamaica exported nearly twice
as many bananas as any other coun-
try last year. the United States i'm
ported more than five times as many
as any other country. For the fiscal
year ended June 30. 1912. the bananas
imported into the United states reached
the enormous total of -. 520.53S punches.
valued at s14.36s.330.
The increase in consumption Of oa-
na mas leads TO the question Of an ade-
quate supply to meet a coming de-
mand- In jamaica there Is plenty OF
land suitable and available. In Next
co. Central America. Panama and Co
Iornbis. not TO mention Haiti and the
Dominican Republic. there are vast
tracts OF land where n fertile soil. a
warm climate. and abundant rainfall
favor the production OF bananas on a
large scale. Not only IL there land
enough. but the profits OF the crop are
sufficiently renumeratIyc TO attract the
investment Of ample capital 70 meet
he worlds demand
Notwithstanding the increased acre
age In bananas. the Jamaica crop for
1912 shows a considerable decrease In
consequence OF an unusually p-Otract-
81 drought. and the crop has been FUR
Their damaged by hurricanes The In
furx to the crop will probably cause
= decrease OF about 100000 punches.
ara there will Be a loss estimated at
2 500 900 10 5000. 900 punches. chiefly
IN the yield Of nexs year.
where plantations have been entire
~ devastated they viii yield little
fruit for export next year. for the rez-
son that 81 will be more profitable
FOR the planters 20 arrange for a spring
rrop In 1914. when the prices viii be
ffgh. than for a crop In the fall or
wfntcr-the seasons when prices arc
generally the lowest As the loss IN
Jamaica will probably be more than
onset By gains IN Colombia. Panama.
Guatemala and other countries which
rave been steadily increasing the aore-'
-. a, this crop a small increase In