298 
much more valuable for food purposes RI bananas that they are 
bari scarce. There is no dou could be more largely 
mand arose for them. But tis present situation is all in 
favour of Sportifs bananas only, and in keeping plantains as a sta ple 
food for ig coloured population. It is quite possible that in a few 
years there will be a change. People in temperate countries who know 
little or fisting of the merits of the plantain are apt to regard it merely 
as an inferior banana. is is far from a due appreciation of its merits. 
In a cooked state, whether ripe or unripe, it is a wholesome and 
nutritious vegetable. It certainly will become in fee demand in the 
United States and Canada during the winter months ; and it is possible 
also it may come into use in Europe if once it had trial under suitable 
circumstances. The flavour of an unripe plantain roasted or boiled 
resembles that of a chestnut, but it is not then sweet ; when fully ripe it 
has the d of a pear with a sweet acidulous taste, It may then be 
eaten roasted or fried in fat like apple fritters. An important product 
of the Uu is plantain-meal. ‘This is more fully dealt with later. 
Guatemala.—The circumstances attending - cultivation and ship- 
ment of dani and plantains to New Orleans and the Southern — 
States from Central America are very vraphieally described by 
William T. Brigham (Gwatemala, pp. 351—354). This information 
i 
Brigham between the relative productiveness and value as Eden 
bananas and plantains is specially striking :— 
* No export from Guatemala has increased more rapidly in value. 
The permanent establishment of lines of steamers between New Orleans 
and Livingstone, and the bounty offered by the Government, stimulated 
the PARE of many small fincas along the shores and on the river- 
der contract with the steamship companies, the producer 
sells his jc as at 50 cents a bunch (of not less than eight hands) 
during five months of the year, and for 374 cents the rest of the year. 
The cost of production may be placed at 12} cents per € All 
these prices are in Uni tates silver currency. Plantains are sold at 
25 cents a bunch of 25, sometimes commanding $1 25c. we 100. The 
profits of this business , as usual, not.to the producer, but to the 
middleman or steamer companies. For example, a man raises 
100 bunches of pisa fruit; the cost to him is $12 50c. delivered on board 
the steamer. He is paid in the best season $50 in silver, for which he 
ean get $40 in American gold. The steamer people, after a voyage of 
four days, during whieh all. their expenses are paid by the passenger 
list and the Government mail subsidies, sell the bananas on the whart in 
at the lowest. The loss is insignificant at these deem and it is not 
uncommon for the profits of a single round trip of two weeks to exeeed 
$40,000. Half this shared with the planter would nis him rich. 
“Tf the planting of bananas is to profit the grower he must raise 
enough, say 20,000 bunches a month, to freight his own steamer, and be 
hb 
