12 TILLEES OF THE GROUND CHAP. 



made by boiling small pieces of meat in water. 

 Everybody dips his fingers into the hot food, and 

 makes a little ball in his hand, then this ball is 

 quickly dipped into the gravy and transferred to 

 the mouth. This requires some skill, because it is 

 an unpardonable sin to let any drops of the precious 

 gravy fall to the ground. The children especially 

 cannot learn just at once to eat without spilling 

 something, and then they are severely reproved by 

 their elders. There is, perhaps, not so much 

 difference between them and us as we might think 

 at first sight. 



But we must go back to the banana grove. 

 Once it has been made by setting out new stocks 

 it requires careful attention. The soil must be 

 kept free from weeds, and that is not easy in a 

 hot, damp country where everything grows so fast. 

 Partly to help to keep down the weeds, and partly 

 as manure, the stem's, as they are cut down, are 

 spread upon the ground round the roots of the 

 trees. If looked after in this way, and if extra 

 shoots which are not wanted are taken away, the 

 banana fruits abundantly and fruits all the year 

 round. This is a very important point, because it 

 means that the people do not need to be provident. 

 They do not need to lay up stores for a season of 

 scarcity, because there is fruit in their plantations 

 at all times. This is, no doubt, one of the reasons 



