160 THE BANANA 



consumption of bananas in manufacturing food products, 

 an industry which has assumed considerable importance 

 in Jamaica, will be checked for some time owing to the 

 destruction of fruit by the recent storms and hurricane." 



A severe wind storm occurred on April 10, 1913, at Santa 

 Marta, Colombia, and it is estimated that 750,000 banana 

 plants were blown down, resulting in a loss to the United 

 Fruit Company of about 200,000. 



Development in England. The distance of sources of 

 supply from England, except the Canary Islands, was un- 

 favourable to the early development of the trade. Messrs. 

 Fyffe, Hudson, and Co. and Messrs. Elder, Dempster, and 

 Co. were importing the small Chinese banana from the 

 Canary Islands into England, packed in crates, and for 

 some years this was the sole source of supply. In 1884 the 

 total importation into England was about 10,000 bunches. 

 But in 1901 the Imperial Direct Line between Bristol and 

 Jamaica was started by the late Sir Alfred Jones, Chairman 

 of the Elder-Dempster Lines, a subsidy of 20,000 a year for 

 ten years being granted by the Imperial Government, and an 

 equal amount being contributed by the Jamaican Govern- 

 ment. The steamers took a cargo of at least 25,000 

 bunches once a fortnight, and were specially fitted with the 

 cooling apparatus invented and manufactured by Messrs. 

 J. and E. Hall, of Dartford. 



On the initiation of the Imperial Direct West India 

 Mail service by Messrs. Elder, Dempster and Co., a 

 separate company was formed, with Sir Alfred Jones as 

 Chairman, to undertake those obligations of the Govern- 

 ment contract which referred to the buying of fruit, but 

 before long it became evident that the basis of supply 

 must be widened, and the new company, being combined 

 with an old-established firm of fruit importers under the 

 title of Elders and Fyffes, Ltd., purchased four vessels, 

 installed Messrs. Hall's plant on them, and instituted 

 regular sailings between Costa Rica and Manchester and 

 Bristol. In each of three subsequent successive years the 

 company brought out three steamers of a very fine type. 



