299 
n a red varie ed im and is mueh larger and more curved than a banana, 
are quite emt uncooked, lege the usual way to eat them is either 
baked or fried. Few of o r Northerners vnl the wonderful 
nutritive qualities of the Aat which in this r t surpasses the 
banana, and it may be authoritatively stated that 1 007 square feet of 
rich land will produce 4,000 pounds of nutritive substance from 
plantains, which will support n persons, while the same land planted 
with wheat will support but tw 
* 'The comparative cost and xd of cultivating bananas and plantains 
may be thus stated :— 
Profit. 
Cost. 
Bananas. Plantains. 
300 bunches of | 15,000 fruits 
bananas at 50| plantains at $1°25 
cents. less cost. per 100, less cost. 
Cost of one acre of land - - 
Care ^ ee = acre to 
Gathering pe shipping crop - 
Total - - - $43.50 $106.50 $144.00 
“ The second year the increase would be in favour of the plantain, 
and the product has reached more than 35,000 per acre. Of the fibre, 
no account has been taken, although this ‘bids fair to become an im- 
portant by-product. The plantain contains more fibre than the 
banana; the inner portion in both stems being much finer. At present 
the possible e four pounds of fibre in each stem is wasted; and as the 
fibrous trunks are much in the ced of cultivation. It will be remem- 
(Musa textilis). 
* Usuaily bananas or plantains are planted in a càfétal or in à cacao or 
orange orchard, to shade the young plants, and after three or four years 
are removed as the more permanent trees attain their growth." 
PnazsERvED RIPE BANANAS. 
For e years bananas have been acd on a small scale in 
or 
J GARE ef it is hoped by this means to make of small bunches of 
fruit not large enough to be shipped in a fait ou stale Small bunches 
