214 THE BANANA 



veloped in cotton-wool, then in dry paper, and placed in 

 open octagonal wooden crates which freely admit air. 

 The bottom of the crate is lined with hay, straw, maize 

 leaves or banana leaves cut up and dried. Empty spaces 

 are firmly stuffed to prevent oscillation in transit. 



An efficient and cheap way of manufacturing meal is 

 simply to peel the bananas and dry them in the sun. 

 But as there are six months of rain, from May to October, 

 it is necessary during those months to have recourse to 

 artificial driers. It is found that from a given weight 

 of fruit 20 per cent, of flour is obtained. It has been 

 ascertained in the course of experiments in Guinea that 

 although unripe and partially ripe bananas may be con- 

 verted more quickly into meal, ripe bananas which contain 

 more sugar give the best results. 



CONGO. " Cette richesse vegetale du bassin entier 

 s'augmente d'une plante qui, avec 1'elai's de Guinee 

 (palmier a huile), suffit a caracteriser la ve"gtation congo- 

 lienne ; il s'agit du bananier qui crolt sur presque toute 

 1'etendue du bassin. La beaut 6 de son port embellit les 

 sites des villages qu'il entoure ; son fruit exquis constitue 

 une des plus riches ressources alimentaires du pays ; sa 

 fibre souple and son feuillage geant servent de matiere 

 premiere a 1'industrie indigene." * 



SAN THOME. In the island of San Thome about a dozen 

 varieties of banana or plantain are cultivated, some from 

 Brazil and Madeira, but chiefly from the neighbouring 

 coast of Gabun. One of the varieties has the leaves and 

 the long fruits copiously striped with white, and the 

 bracts are bright red inside ; the botanical name is Musa 

 sapientum var. vittata ; (see Fig. 17, p. 215). 



CAMEROON. In the German colony of Cameroon much 

 attention is devoted to the subject of the cultivation of the 

 banana and the export to Europe. It is pointed out that 

 the distance to Europe is not greater than from Costa 

 llica to Liverpool, and that there are many places on the 

 coast very favourable to loading ships. Steps are being 

 * " Le Congo Beige," by J. Bertrand, p. 67 (1909). 



