I04 

 B AN AN IN E FLOUR AND BREAD. 



Referring to the West Indies, the Colo nicer in its issue of Janu- 

 ary, 1906, states that remarkal:)le strides are bein<> made in sys- 

 tematic attention to agriculture, the cukure of tropical products, 

 and the development of new ones ; and that this advance is due 

 largely to the initiative and splendid work done by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture in those islands, ar.d Ijy the \\^est 

 India Committee in England. The writer of the article goes on 

 to mention one important industry which is entirely of today — 

 "Bananine" — a product of Jamaica. 



"Bananine" is a flour product derived from the banana. The 

 natives of Central Africa manufacture a crude flour from this 

 fruit; and speaking of this, the late Sir H. AI. Stanley said, that if 

 only its virtues were publicly known, it would be largely con- 

 sumed, especially by infants, persons of delicate digestion, dyspep- 

 tics, and those sufl:"ering from temporary derangement of tlie 

 stomach. 



The flour now placed upon the market under the name "Bana- 

 nine" is far superior in quality to the native-made product, and 

 possesses a higher value as food than even beef, containing, as it 

 does, as high a percentage of proteids, whilst its caloric or energy 

 value is almost four times as great. 



*Tt is from this product," says tlie Colonizer, "that is derived 

 the now well-known 'Bananine' bread — the result of practical and 

 scientific experiments carried over a considerable period — possess- 

 ing all the qualities of a perfect food, combined with pleasant 

 appearance and flavour. The nutritive properties of 'Bananine' 

 bread are present in the most easily available form of assimila- 

 tion, and are certainly appreciated by those suffering from dys- 

 pepsia and other forms of digestive disorders. It appears as 

 palatable and digestible when freshly baked as when several days 

 old, nor does it become dry even after keeping. It is certainly not 

 a luxury, but an everyday article of food, at a price within the 

 reach of all, and has a pleasant flavour similar to that of the best 

 wholemeal bread.'' 



