[ 334 ] 



dessicator. When perfectly dry the chips are ground and 

 passed through a sieve. The produce of meal is 20 to 

 25 per cent, of the weight of fruits used. 15 Ibs. of fruits 

 will give 3 Ibs. of meal. It contains 1.455 f N=9.oi per 

 cent, of albuminoids. For making meal it is preferable to use 

 fruits which are not altogether ripe and which contains 

 more starch than ripe fruits. The fruits on analysis give 

 the following average results : 



Unripe bananas. Ripe bananas. 



Water ... ... 70-92 6778 



Starch ... ... 12-06 Trace 



Grape-sugar ... o'oS 20'47 



Cane-sugar ... 1-34 .0-50 



Fat ... o;2i 0-58 



Albuminoids ... 3*04 4-72 



Crude fibre ... o - 36 0*17 



Tannin 6-53 0-34 



Ash ... ... 1 04 0-95 



Other matters ... 4'6z o'79 



497. Varieties. The principal varieties that are ordi* 

 narily cultivated in Bengal, or have been introduced with 

 success, are, Martamdn, Champ d^ Chini-champak, Kdnthali, 

 Sabri, Anupan, Ram-rambhd> Kanai-bashi, Agnishwar, 

 Bombay ', Singapuri, and Penang. Kdnchkala^ which is ordi^ 

 narily used as a table-vegetable, is also eaten in the ripe 

 state by the poorer classes. Martamdn and Champa are 

 the ordinary good varieties. 



498. 5W/. Clay-loam soil not subject to water-logging 

 and situated close to a tank, ditch, jhil, or canal, should be 

 chosen. The land should be ploughed up and while a crop 

 of Aus paddy is growing the suckers should be planted 

 8 cubits apart in the rainy season. The pit should be made 

 a cubit deep and manured with cowdung. The intervals 

 should be ploughed and crossploughed once a year, and 

 silt from the tank, canal, or jhil; applied in April as manure 



