783 JAMAICA. 



;ii)d piled on hurdles raifed above the floor in a dry room, admit- 

 ting the air to pafs between them, and prevent their fweating, 

 which would foon rot them, when any quantity happens to be laid 

 ill an heap. Twelve months are generally allotted for their coming 

 to maturity from the time of their being planted ; but in feme 

 parts, wh^re well-fupplied with moifture, and brought forward 

 with a hot fun, they will ripeu earlier than in others. 



117. Plantane-tree. — Mtifa, fruclu major i triquciro. 



This is cultivated in every inland fettlement, or wherever the 

 foil and feafons are propitious to it, with great care, as the fruit 

 fupplies a principal part of fuftenance to the inhabitants, black and 

 white. It thrives beft in a cool, rich, and moifl. foil, and is com- 

 TOonly planted in regular walks, or avenues. It is propagated by 

 the fuckers, which ipring up from the roots, fet at the diftance of 

 fix or eight to ten or twelve feet apart, and the latter more com- 

 monly, as the root throws up, every year, a number of young 

 iprouts, and confequently require a confiderable fpace to be allowed 

 for their exteniion. 



When the bunch, or clufter, of fruit is gathered, the ftem gra- 

 dually decays j to prevent, therefore, the young fuckers from being 

 injured, the Item is always cut down clofeto the ground when the 

 fruit is wanted, in order to affift the growth of the new plants. 



The fruit is generally ufed when it is full-grown ; but, before ft 

 ripens, this is known by the colour, which turns yellow, as foon 

 as it begins to grow ripe. It is peeled, and either roafted in 

 embers, or boiled; and thus ferved up at table, inftead of other 

 bread. Many white perfons, after being accuftomed to it for fome 

 time, actually prefer it to bread, efpecially when young and 

 tender. The Negroes commonly boil it in their melles of falt-fifli, 

 beef, or pork- broth, and find it a very ftrengthening wholcfome 

 food. When the fruit is ripe, it becomes lufcioufly fweet: it may 

 then be made ufe of for tarts, or fliced and fried in butter. The 

 Spaniards dry and prefcrve it as a fweetmcat ; and, perhaps, it is 

 wholefomer than many other forts of confectionary that arc more 

 in vogue. The ripe fruit and maize together are the bell: food for 



hogs 



