BANANAS. 51 



around the rice. It is needless to say that stewed or cannea 

 peaches, quinces, jelly, or jam or marmalade, may replace 

 the apricots. 



Apricot Fritters.— To the beaten yolks o" three eggs, 

 add ninetablespoonfuls of mills and st^r in half a pint of 

 flour. Split the apricots in two, dust with sugar, dip two 

 pieces at a time in the batter and fry in hot lard. 



THE BANANA. 



Among the most important of all fruits is the banana. 

 It is the especial food of the inhabitants of many tropical 

 countries, since it grows riipidly and bears luxuriantly. 

 It reaches a height of fifteea or twenty feet, the stem 

 terminating in a tuft of leaves from five to ten feet in 

 length and a foot wide. The whole plant makes a salient 

 feature of the southern landscape. 



No other plant yielde so large a supply of nutriment, 

 and according to Humboldt a given amount of laud which 

 would yield thirty-eight pounds of wheat or more than 

 eleven times that weight of potato, would produce four 

 thousand pounds of bananas. In its constituents it close- 

 ly resembles the potato. With a little salt meat or fish 

 the native West Indian thrives on bananas, and when 

 compelled by necessity performs a good deal of labor upon 

 that as a staple article of food. 



Every year witnesses increased importations of bananas 

 untill in the vicinity of the seaboard they can be pur- 

 chased, in their season, from twelve to twenty-five cents per 

 dozen. As a consequence new methods of cooking this es- 

 culent are continually sought. 



Nor is this a matter of wonder. Bananas are readily 



