SOUTH AMERICA 231 



proved successful in the fruit market, another variety may 

 be found which will be both immune and have the good 

 qualities of the Jamaican as well. If a good watch is kept 

 on the Jamaican plants now in the colony, and suckers 

 from the least susceptible stocks are taken continually, 

 it might be possible to develop a native immune variety. 



Dr. J. Kuyper, Government Botanist in the " Depart- 

 ment van der Landbouw," in a communication to the 

 author dated January 1913, has very kindly contributed 

 the following account of the efforts made to establish a 

 banana trade : 



" The banana business was started in the year 1906. 

 There was a contract between the Government and the 

 United Fruit Company, and between the Government and 

 the estates. The Government bought the fruit from the 

 estates, which were not allowed to sell their fruits to any 

 other person or company than the Government ; the 

 United Fruit Company took upon itself to send steamers 

 and to buy up all the available fruit. The Government 

 made advances and got as security mortgages on the 

 estates.* 



" The species planted was the Jamaican or Gros Michel 

 banana. The estates took upon themselves the obligation 

 to plant 6900 acres in bananas in three series of 2300 acres 

 each. In 1907, 2300 acres were ready, and towards the 

 end of the year the managers began with a new series of 

 that acreage. In that year already some cases of Panama 

 disease were noticed, but it was not yet serious. On 

 December 31, 1908, 7600 acres were planted with bananas ; 

 so the acreage was a greater one than the estates were 

 obliged to keep up. In 1908, 219,663 bunches were 

 shipped, for which the United Fruit Company paid 

 fl. 110,076.93 (Dutch currency). The Panama disease had 

 already done great damage, but not yet so much that the 



* The Government advance was at the rate of about 30 per hectare 

 (= 2 acres) for the first year of planting and 15 for each following year, 

 the amount to be refunded from the proceeds of the crop. Dr. van Hall 

 in Tropical Life, April 1908. 



