324 



THE PLANTAIN AND BANANA. 



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 pnt into hot 

 w^ater. The fresh plantain, however, when boiled whole, forms a. 

 pretty dense firm mass, of greater consistency and toughness than 

 the potato. The mass, beaten in a mortar, constitutes the foo-foo of 

 the negToes. The plantain meal cannot be got into this state 

 unless by mixing it up with water to form a stiff dough, and then 

 boiling it in shapes or bound in cloths. 



Plantain meal is prepared by stripping off the husk of the 

 plantain, slicing the core, and drying it the sun. When thoroughly 

 dry it is powdered and sifted. It is known among the Creoles of 

 the West Indies under the name of OonquJn iay. It has a fragrant 

 odour, acquired in drying, somewhat resembling fresh hay or tea. 

 It is largely employed as the food of infants, children, and invalids. 

 As food for children and convalescents, it would probably be much 

 esteemed in Europe, and it deserves a trial on account of its 

 fragrance, and its being exceedingly easy of digestion. In respect 

 of 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 flavor 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, resource 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 diy 

 it. The color of the meal is injured when steel knives are used 

 in husking or slicing, but silver or nickel blades do not injure 

 the color. On the large scale a machine, on the principle of the 

 turnip slicer, might be employed. The husking could be greatly 

 facilitated by a very simple machine. Vf ere the plantain meal 

 to come into use in England, and bear a price in any way ap- 

 proaching to that of Bermuda arrowroot, it would become an ex- 

 tensive and very profitable export. Eull-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 pl^^tain, 

 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, which, at the 

 price of arrowroot, namely, Is. per lb., would be a gross return of 

 £112 10s. per acre. A new plantain walk would give twice as 

 much. 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. 



In respect of the choice of a situation for establishing a plantain 



