Some Bananas

The famed Banana, Song, however justifiable in 1923, is completely out of place this year. This is not so much due, however, to crop conditions as to the late Spring in the U. S. Ordinarily demand at the fruit stores begins in April, and exceeds the supply until about July 4. But consumers do not eat bananas in sleet storms and cold weather. This year the banana dealers' yellow bunches dangled under their canvas awnings in vain. Importation into New York by one large company is only about half of normal, while prices on a bunch are down from an average of $4.50 to $3.00. The perplexities of the banana dealers have recently attracted the attention of high finance through the decline of Cuyamel Fruit Co. stock on the ticker tape, amounting to almost 20 points. In addition to the weather, this and other fruit companies have a never-ceasing problem with Central American revolutions. Cuyamel owns over 53,000 acres in Honduras, of which 12,000 are under cultivation for bananas. These properties are the chief sources of revenue for the Government and employment for the inhabitants, so in the recent Honduras revolution both parties avoided injuries to Cuyamel's banana groves.