83 



British Guiana. 



The following interesting suggestions respecting the preparation of 

 plantain meal are taken from a report prepared in 1847 by Dr. Shier on 

 the Starch-producing Plants of British Guiana. They appeared in the 

 " Catalogue of Contributions transmitted from British Guiana to the 

 Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867," pp. xlviii-li. : — 



" The plantain is sometimes so abundant and cheap that it might, 

 if cut and dried in its green state, be exported with advantage. It is 

 in this unripe state that it is so largely used by the peasantry of this 

 Colony as an article of food. It has always been believed to be highly 

 nutritive ; but I have not found in any sample of the dried plantain 

 which I have analysed a larger amount than *81 per cent of nitrogen, 

 which corresponds with about 5^ per cent, of proteine compounds. 

 When dried, and reduced to the state of meal, it cannot, like wheat flour, 

 be manufactured into maccaroni or vermicelli, or, at least, the maccaroni 

 made from it falls to powder when put into hot water. Plantain 

 meal is prepared by stripping off the husk of the plantain, slicing the 

 core, and drying it in the sun. When thoroughly dry it is powdered 

 and sifted. It is known among the Creoles of the Colony under the 

 name of conjuintay. It has a fragrant odour, acquired in drying, 

 somewhat resembling fresh hay or tea. It is largely employed as the 

 food of infants and invalids. In respect to nutritiveness, it deserves a 

 preference over all the pure starches on account of the proteine compounds 

 it contains. The plantain meal would probably be best and freshest 

 were the sliced and dried plantain cores exported, leaving the grinding 

 and sifting to be done in Europe. The flavour of the meal depends a 

 good deal on the rapidity with which the slices are dried, hence the 

 operation is only fitted for dry weather, unless, indeed, when there was 

 occasion for it, recourse were had to a kiln or stove. Above all, the 

 plantain must not be allowed to approach too closely to yellowness or 

 ripeness, otherwise it becomes impossible to dry it. The colour of the 

 meal is injured when steel knives are used in husking or slicing, but 

 silver or nickel blades do not injure the colour. Fall-sized and well- 

 filled bunches give 60 per cent, of core to 40 of husk and top-stem ; but 

 in general it would be found that the core did not much exceed 50 per 

 cent., and the fresh core will yield 40 per cent, of dry meal, so that 

 from 20 to 25 per cent, of meal is obtained from the plantain, or 5 lbs. 

 from an average bunch of 25 lbs., and an acre of plantain walk of 

 average quality, producing during the year 450 such bunches, would 

 yield a ton and 10 lbs. of meal. Even supposing the meal not to 

 command over half the price of arrowroot, it would still form an excellent 

 outlet for plantains whenever, from any cause, the price in the Colony 

 sank unusually low." 



United States. 



During the year 1892 it is stated that nearly 13 million bunches of 

 ripe bananas were imported into the United States. Each bunch usually 

 consists of 80 to 20 J bananas, and weighs from 30 to 90 pound 3. 

 Bananas were received principally at New Orleans, New York, 

 Philadelphia, and Boston, each of which imported not less than two 

 million bunches. It is said that these enormous figures are likely to be 

 exceeded in later years. The banana is grown for export chiefly at 

 Jamaica, Cuba, Nicaragua, United States of Colombia, Honduras, and 

 Costa Rica. The value of fruit exported from Jamaica in 1891 (chiefly 

 to the United States) amounted to 531,726/. 



