lxvi. Timehri. 



" doubt that a great impetus will be given to the cultivation of bananas in 

 " the colony, and that in the course of a few years British Guiana will 

 " become one of the leading places in the world for the exportation of 

 " the fruit ; unfortunately at present lack of means of transport makes 

 " this impossible." 



When banana-growing was commenced on a very large scale in 

 Surinam it appeared that it might be advisable for this colony to follow 

 the example set by our neighbour. As you may remember, a special 

 Commission was appointed to enquire into the possibility of the estab- 

 lishment of such au industry here. A Committee of the Commission 

 visited Surinam and made an exhaustive study of the conditions under 

 which the industry was being carried on. Unfortunately the Agent of 

 the United Fruit Company in Surinam had to inform the Committee that 

 on no account would the Company extend its activities to British Guiana, 

 whilst it was prepared, in order to conserve its virtual monopoly of the 

 banana-market in the United States, to offer active opposition to our 

 successfully marketing bananas in that country. The Commission 

 realised that without the hearty co-operation of the United Fruit Com- 

 pany the question of banana-growing oa a commercial basis in British 

 Guiana was not then feasible. Further it did not appear advisable to 

 make plantings of the Jamaica or Gros Michel banana in British Guiana 

 whilst the plantations in Surinam were being devastated by a disease 

 to which that banana had succumbed. Hence the Commissioners were 

 unable to recommend to the Government the expenditure of the very 

 large sum of money necessary to inaugurate a banana-growing and 

 exporting iudustry. The question of banana-growing, however, has not 

 been lost sight of ; I may place on record that I have not in any way 

 swerved from the opinion I expressed iu 1907, and I believe that after 

 the termination of the war banana-growing, using immune varieties such 

 as the Dwarf and the Congo, may become one of the export-industries of 

 British Guiana. 



Plantains and bananas are, I fear, not being grown on the 

 same scale here as they were in 1897. This is to be regretted, 

 especially during the existence of the present war-conditions. Both 

 plantains and bananas are foods of exceptional high value. 

 Probably a plantation of Dwarf bananas on rich or fairly rich 

 loamy land produces far more food per acre than does wheat, rice or 

 other crops. It is well-known that the starch of the banana or plantain 

 is much more roadily digestible than are the starches of wheat, maize, 

 rice and other cereals. The fresh almost ripe to ripe banana contains, 

 in addition to vitamines and other accessory bodies, among its 

 various enzymes a very active invert.ase. Possibly owing to 

 these conditions the ripe banana is one of the most readily 

 assimilable of all food-products. In my own experience I have found it to 

 be one of the most sustaining when walking in the " bush." Upon the 

 reco'niitiou of these facts the banana should become in many countries a 



