75 



Convict Depot, Chaguanas, 

 Dear Sir, * April 9, 1891. 



Messrs. Gordon, Grant, & Co. have kindly given the result, in 

 an account sale, of a trial shipment of preserved ripe bananas. I 

 venture to think this experiment will prove to be of important interest 

 to banana growers, especially to those who have the right kind for 

 drying, namely, the Gros Michel, known also as the Jamaica or 

 Martinique banana. Drying the bananas opens up a way of utilising 

 the fruit that no other means offers. It overcomes the difficulty of bad 

 roads, remote districts, and other drawbacks which the planter has to 

 face in getting his bananas to market. It also does away with the risks 

 of handling and of the sea voyage. 



Dealing with the first item in the account, namely, 97 boxes, this 

 number represents the result of drying six bunches, weighing on an 

 average 52 lbs. per ripe bunch. A loss of one third takes place in 

 the peeling and drying process. The 97 boxes contained one pound 

 of dried fruit each and sold for $19 40c. or 20c. per lb. box, or, after 

 deducting freight charges, $15 47c, a fraction under 16c. per lb. 



A bunch weighing 52 lbs., less one-third in drying, gave 17 lbs. of 

 dried fruit and sold at 16c. per lb. This is at the rate of $2 72c. per 

 bunch. A further charge of 53c. must be considered in producing the 

 bunch. This would cover purchase of land, clearing woods, draining, 

 planting, weeding, cutting, drying, fuel, boxes, and packing. I have 

 not included cost of drier, as that would be but a fraction on each 

 bunch dried. Now after deducting the above we have a clear profit for 

 the grower of $2 19c. (about 8s.) for every bunch of fruit produced. 



This fine price has, I think, rarely been equalled in Trinidad for 

 bananas and should encourage growers of this fruit to enter fully into 

 the matter and improve upon my experiment. Not to do so would be 

 to confirm his Excellency the Governor's words in the opening speech 

 at our late exhibition ''that the want of interest in a fruit trade was 

 suicidal." 



I do not desire to set up as a teacher, but facts and figures speak for 

 themselves. The account shown is not an approximate one, but the 

 money has been received, and the Canadians are asking for more at 

 the same price. An order is now on hand for 2 cwt. for London at 

 i'xl. per lb. in bulk, the consignee doing the retail packing and advertising. 

 As the fruit is something new it is being sought after, and all that 

 can be dried is being profitably disposed of. I may add that the fruit- 

 drier does its work well, turning out the fruit in an uniform colour. 

 Attention must be paid to this and also that fruit as nearly as possible 

 of one size only be dried, as this facilitates packing. Small ones can be 

 used for stock, &c. ; 12 good sized fruits weigh one pound. 



Gros Michel bananas dry best and give the best result. Governor 

 bananas take second place ; the other varieties are not suitable. I 

 state this from experiments with them all. 



I trust in a measure the foregoing will aid to dispel the doubts and 

 anxieties frequently expressed as to a profitable means of dealing with 

 our fruit, especially bananas, for they are absolutely indispensable in 

 growing young cocoa, for shade purposes. To those not well posted 

 in the subsidiary industries and who are seeking information, that 

 there is interest being taken in the matter is evident, for if only one 

 line be mentioned upwards of 100,000 banana plants have been dis- 

 tributed in Trinidad and Tobago from the depot during the past two 



