The Ciina.iiaii Horticulturist. 



259 



k 



The Trade in Bananas. 



I- Ku people have the faintest con- 

 ception of the immensity of the trade 

 in l)ananas, although it may he better 

 understood by the statement of tlie fact 

 that there are at present forty-seven 

 steamers plying between the West India 

 Islands and \c\v York, engaged almost 

 exclusively in the banana trade. The 

 profits attached to this business have 

 l)een enormous to the steamship own- 

 ers, and a source of considerable rev- 

 enue to importers and dealers. Large 

 as is the production of bananas in the 

 Islands, it is increasing rapidly, and the 

 consumption on this continent appears 

 to be keeping pace therewith. In Can- 

 ada, this favorite fruit has become (juite 

 popular, and, where some yearsagoonly 

 a few bunches were required, it now 

 takes car loads to satiate the demand. 

 Prices vary considerably during the 

 season, as the least .scarcity causes 

 them to advance to $1.75 to §2. 50 per 

 bunch, whilst an over supply brings 

 them down to Si. 00, but fair average 

 figures for this market are S1.25 to 

 $1.50 for good, sound red and yellow 

 fruit. It must be borne in mind how- 

 ever that the great bulk of bananas im- 

 ported into Canada is composed of 

 second qualities, the first being reserved 

 for New York, Boston, Philadelphia, 

 and other American cities. An im- 

 porter stated a few days since that it 

 was a very rare occurrence that a 

 straight car of firsts came to this city, 

 but the average quality of bananas sold 

 here it is claimed are equal in flavor to 

 the firsts, although the bunches and 

 fruit are scarcely as large. — Trade Bul- 

 letin. 



Forest Tree Culture. 



From Annual AUilrcssof I'ratdent Elliot, oj Minntsutu 

 Horticultural Society. 



There is a very erroneous im- 

 pression among young people, and 

 many old ones, that governments 



ought to do all the planting in forest 

 culture; they thinking that men's 

 lives are too short for such work ; 

 also that the planting of trees, even 

 if successful in growth, is a very un- 

 certain investment to the planter. 

 Life is very uncertain, as statistics 

 inform us ; not more so than a great 

 many other things that we do. All 

 {)rospective operations have cluster- 

 ing around them many uncertainties; 

 but really, in what can a young man 

 invest a few dollars that will give 

 him so much real enjoyment in his 

 old age, as the planting of a goodly 

 number of useful and ornamental 

 trees and shrubs? In your youth 

 plant trees ; in middle age plant 

 trees ; in old age plant trees, that 

 they may spread their ample shade 

 over your head when silvered with 

 old age. 



Intelligent, useful men are trying 

 to solve the problem of reforestation 

 of our continent. The work may 

 not be done in this generation, but i 

 will surely exercise the most thought- 

 ful intellects of this land until it is 

 accomplished. This great scheme 

 has come to stay with the best free 

 educators of our land. There will 

 be discouragements and dark days 

 for this enterprise, but it will end in 

 either the government or private 

 capital undertaking this great work. 

 Trees, like men, begin to show age 

 and decay at the top ; but men un- 

 like trees, return to their second 

 childhood, and if an active, useful, 

 energetic man in youth, they never 

 lose opportunity for doing or saving 

 something as a source of pure enjoy- 

 ment ; and I would inquire what 

 more impressive scene of unalloyed 

 sacrifice, than this useful employ- 

 ment in planting trees in their de- 

 clining years for future generations 

 to admire ; living monuments that 

 shall long remain for our children to 

 appreciate ; silent reminders of 

 thoughtfnl, industrious usefulness ? 



