DECEMBER, 1908. 



Horticulture 



that the fruit-bearing habit arises ft om 

 a quiescent state. To quote an extreme 

 case, a superabundant crop of oranges is 

 usually regarded as a sign of the tree 

 having begun to decline. 



(8) The smaller the number of fruits 

 the greater their value and size. This 



is why fruit-growers thin their crops at 

 an early stage of development. Pruning 

 also is utilised to the same end. By 

 thinning out the fruiting wood the num- 

 bers ate lessened, and each receives a 

 larger share of the plant-food elaborated. 

 — Capricornian, 12th Sept., 1908. 



COOKERY. 



THE COOKING OF PLANTAINS. 



By M Willis. 



Baked Plantains.— Take some Su- 

 wandel plantains, cut off a small piece 

 from each end but leave the rest of the 

 skin on. Put in the oven until the skin 

 bursts, then turn them over, keep in 

 the oven five minutes longer and then 

 skin them. Afterwards they may either 



(a) Be cut lengthwise, and sprinkled 

 with castor sugar, and coconut milk 

 poured over them ; or 



(6) Be cut across, mixed with sugar 

 and roselle, or some other slightly acid 

 jelly, or with strawberry jam, and 

 served with custard. 



Fried Plantains — Skin some Su wan- 

 del plantains, and stew them in water 

 in the oven for a time. Pour off the 

 water aud let them soak in the following 

 mixture :— -^glasses of rum, 2 tablespoons 

 of whitn castor sugar, together v ith 

 a few cloves, half a nutmeg pounded, 

 and the rind of a lime. After soaking, 

 fry in dripping after rolling in flour. 

 Serve with fine sugar. 



