THE BANANA 251 



starch-foods and healthful when eaten with an under- 

 standing of the fruit's very substantial and sustaining 

 nature. From its composition and wholesome qualities 

 a likeness is directly traceable to wheat bread. The nourish- 

 ment to be derived from the banana is very great and it 

 has been stated that "one pound of bananas is equal to 

 three pounds of meat in nutriment," which, however, 

 should be considered conditionally or " relatively. Lean 

 beef, for instance, contains chiefly protein (no carbohy- 

 drates) while bananas are essentially a starchy food, con- 

 taining an exceedingly small per cent, of protein and made 

 up almost entirely of the carbohydrates. 



With children the banana should be cut intq bits or 

 mashed, not merely because of the danger of choking on 

 the larger, solid, slippery pieces so often mistakei;ly given 

 them, but because, as with adults, it is usually not suf- 

 ficiently masticated, gives trouble in the process of dis- 

 integration and so is considered indigestible: the difficulty 

 being plainly with the people and not with the banana. 

 (The M. Cavendishi, or Cavendish, and M. Orientum, or 

 Hart's Choice, or Lady Finger, are the most delipate for 

 eating uncooked). 



The luxuriance of the banana plant is typified in the 

 long and broad rich leaves of soft, satiny texture, (though 

 firm and somewhat velvety in the earlier stages). But 

 these elongated, vegetable, elephant's ears soon have their 

 smooth surface disturbed, for the wind, brushing their 

 helpless delicate weight, quickly tears them into fine-frayed 

 ribbons. These, when first unfolding, have their tender, 

 pea-green breadths cut up for cooking like vegetables 

 among some of the tropical peoples. 



The banana blossom is one of the most beautiful creations 

 of nature. It consists of fold after fold of close-sheathed, 

 shell-like leaves, under each of which a circle of embryo 



