BANANA. 327 



presented several species indigenous to different 

 parts of both continents. The space favourable to 

 the cultivation of this valuable plant in Mexico is 

 more than 50,000 square leagues, and has nearly a 

 million and a half of inhabitants. In the warm and 

 humid valleys of Vera Cruz, at the foot of the cor- 

 dillera of Orizaba, the fruit occasionally exceeds 

 ll'S inches in circumference, with a length of seven 

 or eight. A bunch sometimes contains from 160 to 

 180, and weighs from 66 to 88 Ib. avoirdupois. 



Humboldt doubts whether there is any other plant 

 on the globe which, in so small a space of ground, 

 can produce so great a mass of nutriment. Eight 

 or nine months after the sucker has been inserted in 

 the earth the banana begins to form its clusters, and 

 the fruit may be gathered in less than a year. When 

 the stalk is cut, there is always found among the 

 numerous shoots which have put forth roots one that 

 bears three months later. A plantation is perpetuated 

 without any other care than that of cutting the stems 

 on which the fruit has ripened, and giving the earth 

 a slight dressing. A spot of 1076 feet may contain 

 at least from thirty to forty plants, which, in the 

 space of a year, at a very moderate calculation, will 

 yield more than 4410 Ib. avoirdupois of nutritive sub- 

 stance. Our author estimates, that the produce of 

 the banana is to that of wheat as 133 : 1, and to that 

 of potatoes as 44 : 1. 



In America numerous preparations are made of 

 this fruit, both before and after its maturity. When 

 fully ripe it is exposed to the sun, and preserved like 

 our figs ; the skin becoming black, and exhaling a pe-. 

 culiar odour like that of smoked harn. This dry ban- 

 ana (Platanopassado), which is an object of commerce 

 in the province of Mechoacan, has an agreeable taste, 

 and is a very wholesome article of food. Meal or 

 flour is obtained from it, by being cut into slices, dried 

 in the sun, and pounded, 



It is calculated that the same extent of ground in, 



