THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



THE NATIVE FARINAS OF JAMAICA. 



I have given some attention to the varieties of food which are available 

 from our own soil ; and. I am convinced that we may, if we please, be very- 

 independent of other countries as respects farinaceous substances, besides 

 being able to add items of food now imported to our list of staple exports. 



1st. The Flour of the Bread Fruit. — In the parish of Portland, in which 

 I have a residence, the bread-fruit tree abounds, and is very productive of 

 fruit. It requires no care, and bears in about five years after being planted. 

 The parish is healthy, and abounds in water ; and there is, throughout the 

 year, much rain. The soil, generally, is excellent, and its productive power 

 remarkable ; but of all of its products none appear to me more deserving of 

 notice than the bread-fruit. 



The fruit begins to ripen about July or August ; and the tree continues 

 more or less productive until Christmas ; but in other parishes trees may 

 be found in bearing throughout the spring and in early summer. Indeed, 

 I believe there is not a month of the year in which ripe bread-fruit might 

 not be had in some quarter or another of the island. 



But after becoming ripe, it quickly perishes ; consequently an enormous 

 amount of it is lost or wasted. It is a beautiful substance, and of a delicate 

 and agreeable taste ; and it occurred to me that, could it be sliced and dried, 

 and made into flour — and if that flour would be kept good for any length of 

 time — that a great additional value could be imparted to the product. 

 Accordingly I had it cut into thin slices, and dried in the sun for a couple 

 of days, and then made it pass through a corn-mill, which easily reduced it 

 to meal of a beautiful very pale yellow colour. By passing this meal 

 through a fine sieve, we got a beautiful flour fit for baking. I have a large 

 barrel of the meal of the crop of last year, which is still very good. It has 

 not been assafled by insects, nor has it fermented. It is sweet and good, 

 and retains its pleasant delicate flavour. 



