The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-12
ATE THREE BILLION
BANANAS IN YEAR
ALL TOGETHER WOULD REACH
TO MOON AND HALF
WAY BACK

NEW YORK. Aug. 11.-Imagine
to reach to the moon and half way
back again. weighing three billions OF
pounds, or a million and a half tons.
That Is Big Mike" the English
equivalent of "Gros Michele" as the
banana OF commerce. the poor mans
fruit, is known.
Not only In name. but in fact Is
this fruit big, for incredible as such
a fruit seems. it merely represents
the bananas consumed in this coun-
try last year No other fruit in the
land can approach these figures, and
yet in spite OF the fact that we now
consume more than 5000, 900 ba-
nanas every year the skins of which
would cover an area OF nearly 5000
acres and be sufficient to cause every
citizen and unwelcome fall every
three months, the average consumer
knows less about this fruit than any
other which he eats. Its origin, us
production and its handling are all
matters of mystery to the public which
consumes 1t.
| Just where the banana originated
is a matter of mystery and one which
! troubles little the masses which con-
sumo the poor mans fruit as 1t
| has come to be known. Somewhere
| back In the mists of time 1t grew wild
and furnished ready food. some
thing like the mama of the Bible,
to q race which had not yet learned
the art Of cooking. Its development
from that point to the position which
1t occupies in the commercial world
today Is one of the most remarkable
stories in the history of our foods.
Originally the banana grew wild
in tropical countries Eventually
however. this strange fruit, which Is
now practically seedless, so FAR as
purposes of propagation go. has been
made commercial product in the
semi-tropics. Practically unknown in
this country half century ago. it
now occupies a place in the working
mans dinner pail hardly secondary
to the doughnut. The extent to which
its use has grown Is indicated by the
fact that last year more than $4,000
900 punches, or more than 5000. 900
J 900 individual bananas. were con-
sumed in this country alone.
In the vegetable kingdom the ba-
mana holds a peculiar position. In
spite Of the fact that II often grows
Ito a height of thirty or forty feet,
and is generally referred to az tree,
it actually is made up OF solidly
picked mass Of leaf stems, and after
bearing its fruit perishes every year
to grow up again from the roots. It's
nearest relative in this country Is the
, Gamma, found in flower gardens from
Canada to Mexico.
The enormous development Of ba-
mana raising on such commercial
: scale has brought about the importa-
, ton OF more than 100000 punches
, to this country last year Is attributed
. to two factors-the- cheapness OF the
, fruit and its value as food. While
, 1t Is not grown in this country. It IL
, nevertheless one Of the few food pro
, ducts which has maintained low
price, as is indicated by the fact that
two bananas can be purchased in New
York for one cent. Compared to thi.
/ even the apple. much lower IN fooe
/ ! yalue,- becomes the rich mans fruit
There Is probably no such prolific
bearer in all the vegetable kingdom
, as the banana. The scientist. Hum
: boldt, estimates that its yield as com
pared to wheat was as 1873 to !, ant
r as compared to potatoes "A to ! IL
other words. could the American far
| mer produce wheat at this ratio. M
) would secure over 1000 bushels al
acre as compared to the present yielt
of 16, and over 5000 bushels OF po
: tatoes as compared to 200.