The Banana Trade. 219 



creasing space to the new craze until it merged entirely 

 into a " Cargo of Bananas." Bananas now became the 

 order of the day, and the trade as an "Industry" had its 

 conception and birth in the Co-partnership of BuSH, 

 MOODIE and SOUTHERLAND ot Port Antonio, Jamaica, 

 to grow, purchase and ship Bananas for the American 

 Market, and undoubtedly to these three gentlemen, 

 therefore, does Jamaica owe most of its present pros- 

 perity and trade. This firm however was not allowed to 

 enjoy very long a monopoly of the trade they had thus 

 created, for Captain Baker soon entered upon the 

 field, and finding a ready market in Boston, easily in- 

 duced some Fruiterers there to finance a separate and in- 

 dependent venture of which L. D. Baker & Co, was 

 the outcome, with Headquarters at Port Antonio and 

 Boston : while Messrs. John E. Kerr & Co., of Mon- 

 tego Bay, boldly entered the field with steam, com- 

 pelling Bush and Baker each to follow, which they did 

 with auxiliary steam schooners and later by steam 

 entirely ; and thus from the lowly cradle of a few stray 

 schooners of the Cape Cod fishing Fleet, calling at un- 

 certain periods, did the trade demands increase by leaps 

 and bounds until these early pioneers were soon left be- 

 hind in the race of competition, and 133 steamers of 

 various nationalities now represent more eloquently than 

 words can express the extraordinary growth and vastness 

 of this steadily increasing industry. 



In the early days of the trade none but small settlers 

 planted bananas, which they carried to the sea-beach, 

 where the Captain of the schooner or his representative 

 sat and paid in cash for each bunch ; the prices ranging 

 from 6d, for small to 4/ for large, according to the state 



