April i, 1895.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
Of Plantains and other fruits there are a super- 
abundance in Trinidad, particularly the plantain, 
Musa sapientum, familiarly enough known here as 
" Gros Michel fig;" and Musa cavendishii, called 
"Governor fig," or " Figue Trinidad!" The plan- 
tain, being grown upon many of the young cacao 
estates for shade purposes, the fruit is simply 
allowed to run to waste ; and we fully sympathise 
with Mr. Hart in his desire to see this valuable food 
utilised. A very profitable and important industry 
might here be developed by the manufacture of 
plantain meal. It is well-known that from the dried 
fruit of any of the genus Musa — call tbeni plantains, 
bananas, or figs — there may be made a most whole- 
some and palatable meal, capable of sustaining life 
for long periods. It is easily digested, and, in the 
form of gruel, is a perfect food for infanta and in- 
valids. I have noted samples shown at several ex- 
hibitions, and always most highly commended, but 
there the matter ends. No capitalists seems to have 
as yet taken to advertising it, like Ravalenta, Mellin's, 
or other vaunted, but probably less palatable and 
less nourishing, foods. 
The orange is next quoted as the special pet 
product of Sir Win. Robinson (now Governor of 
Hongkong) and a circular issued to agriculturists 
of all classes by His Excellency is quoted by 
Mr. Sinclair. All we can say is that it does 
credit to Sir Wm. Robinson to have urged the 
Trinidad people not to be content until their 
export of 853,000 oranges to America in 1890 
became one of 85 million ! Mr. Sinclair men- 
tions that " our friend the toddy tree (Borassits 
flabelliformis), one of the most important and 
most beautiful plants on earth, grows here in 
as great perfection as it does in its native Ceylon. " 
But why did he not call it by its popular name 
of "Palmyrah"? Later when he gets to Ceylon 
lie tells his readers fully about the Palmyrah 
and one of his best stories occurs here : — 
The wine — which is very wholesome in the morning, 
but ferments by midday — is called toddy, and gushes 
out from the wounded spathe at the rate of from 20 to 
100 pints per day. " Man," said a Scotch farmer who 
had listened with apathy to everything else I had 
told him of Ceylon, " Man, I would like one of 
those trees !" 
We are next treated to an account of a Tamil 
coolie's garden by the old Ceylon planter and 
Inspector of Estates : — 
I bad often looked into a coolie's garden in the 
East, and it was not without interest that I went 
to see what Ramosamy had by way of vegetable 
food in the West. Plantains, of course, prince of 
fruits, and noblest of leaves, are there, and are 
always a glad sight. The Mundioca or Jatropha also 
— here greatly appreciated, for the coolie soon comes 
to know a good vegetable ; then the Oranadilla twines 
round his fence, and the great coarse pumpkin takes 
upon end of space, while the sweet potatoe creeps 
along the ground, and the more robust yam grows 
in odd corners. There are other plants not quito 
so common in Ceylon. The Cho cho (Scrhiuui edulr\, 
a kind of cucumber only introduced the other day 
from Jamaica; the Lima bean a first-rate vegetable; 
and the earth nut {Arachit). But here is a tuber 
I never before saw; the coolie calls it "Topin- 
ambour." and runs into the hut for a half cooKed 
root. Why! it tastes like chestnuts and potato mixed ! 
Yes, Ramosamy koows what is good for him ; and 
look at his array of herbs, " Cheddeys," which no 
man but a Tamil would tackle. He evidently pitied 
my ignorance, and followed me into the jungle, watch- 
iug my movements as you would a child, and call- 
ing out words of warning as I looked at the fruit of 
the Datura and other poisonous Solanwmt, " Don't 
' eat that ! " was repeated over and over again, both 
1 in broken English and half-forgotten Tamil. It 
is marvellous how much a coolie knows of botany 
j compared with the ordinary English labourer, or 
| even with men with very much grander pretensions. 
' J. A. Froude, for instance, tells a sensational story 
j of being tempted by a companion, while here "in 
j 1888, to taste some nice-looking ripe fruit from the 
j Stnjchnos nux-vomica, and his life was only saved by 
a gardener, who stopped him in time. It would 
; probably be infra dig. for an illlustrious litterateur 
| to profess to know Strychnos from a strawberry. 
Albeit, it is a curious confession. I like the coolie 
! none the less for his practical knowledge of economic 
: botany, and it might not be altogether out of place 
1 here to give a few hints as to the rules which chiefly 
| guide him in the choice of unknown fruits. Some 
j say, " Ob, you have only to watch the birds," but 
I that won't save you, for birds eat freely of nux- 
\ vomica. The result of Ramosamy's experience is 
! briefly given as follows : — 
1st. Avoid all brilliant colours, bright blues, crirn- 
I soli, and especially jet black. 
! 2nd. See that the remains of the calyx, i.e., the 
outer shell of the flower, is striking firinly on the 
I fruit, as we find it on the gooseberry or apple, and 
; you may eat without hesitation. The fruit may not be 
I very palatable, but it will not be poisonous, 
j 3rd. When the fruit of a tree is quite smooth — ■ 
like the cherry— and has no stone inside, ten to one 
it is rank poison. The cherry has no remains of 
j the flower upon it, but it has a stone, and it is 
I quite wholesome. The potato plum is smooth and 
j has no stone, and is therefore poisonous. 
There are some exceptions to the last rule, and 
I the tomato is one of them. Though long considered 
j poisonous, people have within the last 40 years 
| acquired the habit of eating it with safety and some 
imaginary benefit. 
The " coolie " is a born herbalist, and his native 
tropical land furnishes him with numerous resources 
— their very number forming an embarras dc riches- 
ses. A Canganie, whose wife was ill, once told me 
he had given her seventeen different drugs, and still 
she complained ! I prescribed another, viz., Ipecacu- 
anha, which had the desired effect. My self-appointed 
guide points out a weed which, he declares, if applied 
to the tongue, has the property of clearing the eyes 
| of sand ; but I had no opportunity or inclination to 
test this. Another, whicn has the marvellous virtue 
of thickening skimmed milk ! a well-known plant, 
! which, for obvious reasons, I decline to name ! 
Here, by the way. I made the acquaintance of these 
I most curious of insects, the parasol ants, Atta, 
] Cephalotts ((Ecodomo), which, after denuding a tree 
i of its foliage, were marching in myriads, each hold- 
ing up a portion of a leaf, like the Kandyan car- 
rying his talipot. It has been discovered that these 
proverbially wise and industrious insects actually 
cultivate a nursery garden in which they grow for 
food certain kinds of fungi on these leaves. One 
wonders if Ilemileia Vastatrix, or coffee leaf fungus, 
would suit their purpose. If so, I should much like 
to give them an introduction to Ceylon! 
Here is a curious paragraph : — 
Tobago we were not able to visit, though strongly 
urged to do so by our friend, the obliging commander 
of the " Dee." In his opinion, Tobago offers the best 
opening the world for active young men with a little 
capital and he marvels that bank and mercantile 
clerks do not pitch away their pens, by an umbrella, 
aud come here. So luxuriant is the vegetation, yet 
so cheap is the land and the living that a £5 note, 
j he thinks, would start a man on the road to pros- 
• perity. This idea of colonising the West Indian 
islands by Europeans is, however, one of the wildest 
of dreams. As managers or instructors, the proper 
men have a very important and responsible part to 
play, but as permanent settlers, Never! 
Then of Grenada we cannot help quoting what 
is said : — 
George Town, the beautiful little capital of Grenada, 
was our next port of call. I shall not readily for- 
