AFRICA 217 



" Every clump of this (wild in the mountains) is known to 

 the coolies and Creoles, who readily eat the fruit, which 

 must therefore be watched to obtain it in a perfectly ripe 

 condition. The stems of this banana abound in fibre of 

 excellent quality. ... I have raised plants from seeds." 



NATAL. Bananas form the staple food product, and 

 for these there is an increasing export trade throughout 

 the South African Union. Mr. Claude Fuller states that 

 this crop worth 80,000 per annum is largely in the 

 hands of Asiatics, only a few European planters being 

 engaged in this culture. 



