The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-04-03

fections, etc. Placed in a closed BAR
rel and allowed to- ferrnent. bananas
produce an excellent vinegar, while
from the ripe fruit a delightful cordial
is obtained. Dried ripe bananas are
said to be superior to figs, weigh only
about one-ninth as nue. as the
punches and occupy correspondingly
less spree in shipment. In other WORDS,
the banana has many kinds OF food
values as, yet. but little known In the
country which consumes the most.
Banana culture is Jea1ly one Of the
Oldest Of industries. 1t seems to have
been known almost since the origin
Of the human race. Long before the
dawn Of history in the old world,
from the waters, man lived on the
fruit Of the musas. The banana was
generally considered a native Of
Southern Asia, and to- have = been
carried into America, by Europeans,
until Humboldt threw doubt upon its
purely Asiatic origin quoting, early
authors who asserted that the ban
ana was cultivated in the Americas
long before the conquest. It is
claimed that bananas formed one or
the staple foods of the Incas of Peru
who lived in the warm and temper.
ate regions OF the Montana. It seems
that almost all tropical countries
claim the fruit is indigenous.
Banana ls Thirsty Plant
On the American continents ban
anas are successfully grown through
so degrees Of latitude. from Tampico,
Mexico, rs degrees north, to Asun-
cion, Paraguay, 25 degrees south.
Cultivation Of the fruit is practically
restricted to the eastern. coast line,
for the banana is one OF the thirstiest
Of plants, and cannot be expected to
produce it's maximum in districts
where there r less than 100 inches
Of annual rainfall. .@" y
The banana has a prodigal meth
Cd of propagation, for before. the
parent stalk and fruit have matured
new ones spring up. These are Off
shoots that grow from the root Of
the original plant, resembling the
sprouts from the "eyes" of a potato,
and each in turn becomes a parent
stalk with its fruit. It follows that
unless most Of the constantly ap-
pearing' new plants are cut out
(Which is the practice) the first
stalk in a few years will become the
center of q small jungle. The plants
grow to a height of from Is to 35
feet, spreading in all directions, I'M
til the soil is overwhelmed with a
mass Of stalk and leaf growth and
stunted fruit is produced.
The plant will grow with wonderful
rapidity under favorable circum-
stances. Within a period Of six or
seven weeks the two Or three-foot
plant will more than double in size,
and a month or so later the leaves
cease to unfold and spike appears
out Of the center of the crown. This
is the future stalk of the bunch and
carries a huge red blossom at the
end. It develops rapidly, bending
more and more until it has COM
pletely turned upon itself, so that the
bananas grow end up, or in a posi-
ton the reverse Of that in which they
are seen when hung up for sale.
From seven to twelve months after
the blossoms appears the fruit is
ready for the %gatherer.
A Continuous Harvest.
In cultivation four suckers. or
shoots, are usually allowed to grow
in n hill, and their graduation is
so arranged that while the Oldest
Is bearing fruit the next is in bios
som, the third is half grown, and the
last Is just coming up from the
ground. The plantation yields a
continuous harvest for years without
replanting. In planting for the mar
ket about 200 hills are allowed to
the acre. Sometimes the number is
increased to 225, having 900 stalks,
yielding about 800 marketable
punches a year. 1t is said that the
cost Of production Of punches that
sell for 80 cents is about from 10
to is cents, the average profit per
acre being about $50 annually.
In 1899 banana trading was or
ganiZed on modern commercial lines.
Over 100 vessels have since been
built for this trade and are plying