i6 FOOD FOR THE TROPICS 



The fruit is longer and larger than the Banana. 



The foUowinor are the best varieties ffrown in the 



to' 



different countries of the tropical world : — 



INDIA 



In Madras, a large plantain known in the Tamil language 

 as Monthen, is one of the commonest. In Bengal the 

 Katch Kulla (the cooking plantain of the Europeans) of a 

 large size ; and Firminger states that the most extensively 

 cultivated is the Kuntela, also the Mahl-Chog or Mohun- 

 Chog, in quality like the Kuntela. In Arracan, the Hnet- 

 pyan-meng is very large. 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 



Mum cornicidata, a native of the Malay Islands and 

 Cochin China (called Chuoi Boi in Cochin China), is very 

 good ; also Pisang Abu, Pisang Soldado, and Pisang 

 Alphuru. 



Pisang Tandok, a very large horned variety, common in 

 Borneo, etc. ; it is one foot in length and two inches in 

 diameter. 



AFRICA 



On Lake Tanganyika there is a variety called Mikous 

 t'hembu. Stanley (in "Darkest Africa," vol. i., p. 252) 

 saw plantains twenty-two inches long beyond Yanbuya, 

 and again at Bokokoro some seventeen and one -half inches 

 in length ; and (in vol. ii., p. 55) abnormally large 

 plantains were found at Andata and Andikamu, 



