26 



when warm water is poured upon it, and has a considerable resemblance 

 to that of orris root. 



" When mixed with cold water, it forms a feebly tenacious dough 

 more adhesive than that ol oatmeal, but much less so than that of 

 wheaten flour. When baked on a hot plate, this dough forms a cake 

 which is agreeable to the sense of smell, and is by no means unplea- 

 sant to the taste 



" When boiling water is poured over the meal it is changed into a 

 transparent jelly, having an agreeable taste and smell. if it be boiled 

 with water it forms a thick gelatinous mass, very much like boiled sago 

 in colour, but possessing a peculiar pleasant odour." 



Ill the plantain ' while green, the heart is white and insipid ; th® 

 starch predominates, and it scarcely contains any sugar. In this stat® 

 it is roasted in the ashes, and at table takes the place of bread, potatoes' 

 maize and other farinaceous food. In South America they are dried 

 entire in ovens, and become hard, brittle, and trans-lucid like horn. 

 Under the name of ' fifi ' they are, in this state, taken as travelling 

 stores in sea voyages and long journeys by land." 



The starch of the arrow-root, cassava, and of the ordinary potato i^ 

 easily extracted, but according to Dr. Shier, the starch from the plan' 

 tain (in the unripe state) cannot be extracted in a perfectly white con- 

 dition, in consequence of being associated with a colouring matter from 

 which it is almost impossible to separate it. This colouring matter 

 resists the uction of the most powerful bleaching re-agents. 



In 1890 analyses of the unripe banana and plantain fruit were 

 published by Messrs. Harrison and Jenman (Report on Agriculture, 

 British Guiana, p. 59) : — 



" Composition of a Sample of Bananas, (unripe) 





Dried. 



Fresh. 



Water 



5.75 



75.11 



Oil or fat 



.69 



.18 



Sucrose 



None 





Glucose 



1.75 



.39 



Starch 



42.11 



11.11 



*Albuminoids 



5.13 



1.35 



Gums, etc. 



1.88 



.36 



Digestible fibre 



36.87 



10.07 



Woody fibre 



2.52 



.66 



Ash (mineral matter) 



3.30 



.87 





100.00 



100.00 



* Containing nitrogen, dried .84, fresh .22 



Though the food elements in the banana vary from those of the 

 plantain, the sum total of them is much about the same. The plantain 

 is decidedly richer in starch and glucose, while the banana excels in 

 albuminoids and digestible fibre. The advantage in value is with the 

 plantain." 



The following analyses of the common plantain, fresh and dried 



