The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-14

smith shop and also the stables and
the homes OF the workmen. Some
the managers and overseers bring
their wives with them from the United
States and they must have comfort
able homes screened with wire net
ting.
Some of these houses here are beau
Gfully finished and we'll furnished. |
They have the latest magazines and
Papers and in some of them you will
inc many novels histories and Scien-
ufic books. Many Of the white en-
ployes have hobbies. One may be
an ornithologist, another a hus-hun-
ter and there are no end Of collectors
CT orchids and other strange flowers.
At the Virginia banana plantation
hear here they have quite an aviary.
containing many Of the quaint birds
OF Guatemala. These include the
wild turkey, which has a brilliant
yellow color, the tuna with its gor-
geous plumage, and the policeman
bird. which makes a terrible screech-
ing II strangers come nea the house.
/ do not know just how many thou
sand acres are planted to
in Spanish Honduras but the Guate-
mala estates belonging to the United
Fruit Company cover tens of thou
sands of acres, and 10000 acres are
already IN bearing. This is divided
up into banana farms Of a thousand
acres each. each farm having sec
tons of twenty acres each. Every
farm has it's own the &C.
count sheets being kept separately
section costs and what 1t is Welding
from year to year. Indeed. "A cost
sheet is kept of this business just
as in our factories and machine shops
at home. The general manager of the
plantation is Mr.. Victor NJ. Cutter. a
young New Englander, who came here
a few years ago., just after graduating
with high honor at Dartmouth.
Loading Fruit by Machinery.
l have been much interested during
my stay in Central America in the
handling Of the banana crop, and
especially in watching how the ne
groes transfer the fruit from the cars
to the ships. At Port Limon, Costa
Rica. this is done by machinery. The
fruit is carried ron the plantation
to the side Of the ship as it lies at
the wharf. The tracks are so laid
that the train load Of bananas is
parallel with the steamer. and the
fruit from a half dozen different cars
can be transferred to the ship at the
same time.
The loading is by movable carriers
which run upon wheels. Eacn car
rier is a long belt about two feet il
width, SO arranged that one end OF
it rests over the opening into the hold
anG the other out on the wharf. Thi:
belt moves by machinery, and this
bananas thrown upon it by laborers
are carried into the hold ] have seer
four rivers of bananas thus moving
for hours, carrying fruit into 4 ship
The men are SO trained that tn,
stream Of fruit is continuous, the man
: agenlent knowing just o man.
? punches one man can carry in al
5 hour, and how long it takes TO un
load each car.
The ship Upon which ] came her
D had in it's hold $4,000 punches o
t Each of those punches had 1t leas
: 15o individual bananas, and altogethe
they were enough to have given eVe9
man, woman and child in New York
Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia on
9 banana and still left some to SPAR
At New Orleans the fruit is lande
4 in the same way, being there trans
9 ferred to cold storage cars, whic
e take it to all parts of the Mississippi
basin. The bananas for the easter
part of the United States usually &
: to the apo of the
Object Lessons for Central !Amcric;
This work Of the Americans on tn
n banana plantations is a series of oil
e ject lessons in sanitation, ag%ricultur
and business management for the pee
o pie of Central America. Most Of til
n estates ave large hospitals and til
is employees are taught to take are {
their health. The workmen's nous
e are raised upon poles. the vesetatio
a being cut away and the lands draiI
r ed to get rid Of the mosquitoes. tt
Is labOrers are mad to keep clean an
they are shown how to treat then
g selves for tropical diseases. tt
IS United Fruit Company a beer Ugh
Ie ing the hookworm, n it has its do
tors giving medicines and treatir
I the numerous natives among lis en-
e plcyeS who are SO afflicted. Evel
i. patient who comes to the hospital
IS account OF malaria or other feNe
in or On %account of Wounds received
N treated also for hookworm. | am TO
that this is doing great good = III
le an increase in the working efficient
ty OF the men has come from such trea
n Dient.