Evening star., 1923-07-29
BY ARTHUR JAMES.
BIT of the tropics transplanted

"A States may be found by the
4 u visitor to the building Of the
Pan-American Union, the organiza-
ton that has done 80 much to bring
about closer and more cordial rela-
tions between this country and the
sister republics to the south.
Only the habitual sightseers. as a
rule, know that bananas are growing
in Washington. Plenty of specimens
Of the ripened fruit are on sale here,
but only at the grounds of the beauti-
full structure that is the home of the
union-the commercial home of the
twenty-one countries that compose this
ideal alliance--does the Washingto-
nian or his guest find living banana
tree which bears the golden-hued
fruit SO common to warmer lands.
The building where one finds out
all about the many attractive things
that Central and South America have
to offer is built on general plan
that reminds one of the homes of
some Of the very rich who live in
these modern Ell Dorados.
AS you enter the building. you stop
fountain in which goldfish play, you
note the mosaics Of the tribes of old,
and then your gaze turns toward the
banana tree. You did not look high
enough, so you have not seen the fine
bunch OF fruit that is almost ready
for the picking. Your curiosity hav-
ing been aroused. you want to know
all about this tree and the attendant
patiently gives you the details which,
reduced from scientific terms. are as
follows:
/ There Is always a flower before
the bananas start their growth, and
later they come out in the shape OF
small fruit, green in color. AS they
grow they turn to the golden yellow,
and after a certain length of time
they are ready to be eaten. You
should taste one as it comes from the
tree. It Is truly luscious. During the
time that the tree is bearing we have
another branch or part of the tree
growing, for after this bunch is
plucked then the tree. the part that
bears 1t, appears to lose its strength :"
You have probably often wondered
where all the buttons come from, for
literally millions of them are used
every year. Perhaps II you ask the
average man or woman, he or she
will admit ignorance as to their ex-
act source, but will assert belief that
the great majority Of them are made
of ivory. The answer Is correct, in
part. for they are made OF ivory. but
not the kind that Is secured from the
- -
in millions of buttons that we wear
on our clothes comes from the fruit
of the tagua palm and Is known to
the trade as the ivory nut. 1t may
properly be termed vegetable ivory.
This important industry Of South
America is about sixty years old.
Some Of the rubber gatherers in the
forests of northern Ecuador told of
a peculiar species Of palm which they
found in great numbers and whose
fruit was a nut. These nuts were
called negritos. Upon close examina-
tion, it was found that when the nuts
were dried they had the appearance
of ivory. A sample lot was sent to
Europe for experimental purposes
and it was soon learned that they
pensive genuine ivory that had been
used in the making of buttons. It
was found that when the kernel was
thoroughly dried 1t could be fash
ioned very readily. that the texture
permitted the absorption OF colors
and that it was capable Of taking an
extremely high polish.
Over night, as it were, the industry
sprang into being with the result that
more than 100000 worth Of these
kernels are shipped from Ecuador.
During the past few years Colombia
and Panama have both increased
their output.
An interesting feature about the
tagua or ivory palm is that the burr
holds a collection Of fifty to ninety
nuts In groups. In this huge, rough,
brown burr nature has provided ease
Of harvesting, for when the nuts are
ripe the burr opens at the bottom
and tho nuts fall to the ground. thus
aiding those who gather them for a
living.
As IL to make It still easier for the
gatherers, the nuts are cleaned by
the wild hogs, squirrels and other
animals. When they fall to the
ground they are covered by a thin,
soft. fibrous, oily, pink substance.
which the animals suck off, leaving
the nut clean with the exception of a
skin Of creamy white. dry. pastel-like
substance which Is easily removed.
When these nuts come to the fac
tories hero they look like small po-
tatoes. Generally they have one side