Sept, 2, 1901. J Supptement to the " Tropical AgricuUnrist." 
213 
when driving nails, and when he gets inside of 
this he pricks the horse's foot. The sole protects the 
internal sensitive part of the foot from injury below 
and is surrounded by the bars of the wall. The 
bars are inflex portions of the wall which run 
inward from the heel and from which the frog 
emerges. The foot pad or what is vulgarly 
known as the frog, is a soft elastic lining of 
homey substance which occupies the space 
between the two bars. The parts of the frog are 
the toe on the point, body, heel and cleft. 
I shall now briefly touch upon the function of the 
different parts of the horse's foot. The anatomy 
and physiology of the hoof of the horse are of the 
first importance to the Verterinary student. That 
part of the limb of the horse to which in ordinary 
language the name foot is applied is nothing 
but the extremity of the fingers or toes regarded 
from a zoological point of view, and extends from 
the carpel and tarsal (knee or hock) to the 
extremity of the limb. 
The wall protects the inner structure from 
violence and atmospheric influences. The bars 
bear a certain amount of concussion and prevent 
the contraction of the hoof. It is the cutting 
away of these bars by the farrier that causes hoof 
contraction. The frog is the elastic cushion which 
prevents jar and concussion, and the cutting away 
of it also results in contraction. The coronary baud 
is a soft elastic structure which unites the wall of 
the hoof with the main structure, and the duty 
of which is to prevent concussion. 
A. CHINNIAH, 
Veterinary Surgeon. 
THE PLANTAIN. 
Musa Sapientum is supposed to be what waS 
intended by the Grapes, one bunch of which was 
borne upon a pole between two men, that the 
spies of Moses brought out of the Promised 
Land. Tt is no other than our Plantain or Banana. 
It prefers a rich fat soil, but it is agreed that we 
could and do grow it, though to a degree, in any 
soil ; and who of us will deny it is one of the 
most interesting objects of cultivation for the 
subsistence of man ? It is often the sole support 
of a family. Three dozen fruits will maintain a 
person instead of his rice and curry, or, what- 
ever it may be, for a week. Whether used in a 
raw or dressed form it may be regarded rather 
as a necessary article of food than as a luxury. 
"To point out all the kinds" says a writer, 
"cultivated iu East India alone would be as 
dilBcult to describe as the varieties of apples and 
pears in Europe, for the names vary according 
to the form, size, taste and colour of the fruit." 
Sixteen principal kinds are described at length by 
Rumphius from which all the others seem to 
have diverged. Of these the worst are Pisang 
Swangi, P. Tando and P. Gabba Gabba ; and the 
best are the round, soft, yellowish sorts called 
P. Madji and P. Radja. Some cultivators at 
Batavia boast of having 80 sorts. Rheed distin- 
guishes fourteen varieties by name as natives of 
Malabar. In Sumatra alone twenty varieties are 
cultivated, among which the P, Amas or small 
yellow plantain is esteemed the most delicate, and 
next to it P. Eadja, P. Dingen and P. Salle. 
Sometimes tliey are baked in tlieir skins, and 
then they taste like the best pears of Europe. 
The best sorts are served up raw at the table as 
in the East Indies, and have been compared for 
flavour to an excellent reinetto apple after its 
sweetness has been condensed by keeping through 
the winter. They are also the principal ingre- 
dient in a variety of dishes, particularly in one 
Called mantegue, which is made in slices of them 
fried in butter and powdered over with fine 
sugar. Of the many cultivated sorts, that called 
by the French La Banana musque, is considered 
the best ; it is smaller than the others, but has a 
more delicate flavour. 
Coming nearer home we have our (I) Rat kehel 
(red), (2) Suwandel, (3) Piiwalu or Kolikuttu 
(sweet), (4) Auaitialu (elephant), (5) Iloranawiilu 
(sour), all used in their raw state ; while (6) 
Alukehel (ash), (7) Xitala (green), (8) Soramundan 
(giant), (9) Newukehel (imported), and (10) Eta- 
kehel (wild) are made into dishes. 
It is hardly known that No. 9, besides the 
fruit, affords a delicate vegetable in the young 
shoois. A peculiarity in No.lOisthat the un- 
opened blossom is only edible. It grows wild 
and so nice to the palate and nutritious that it 
is seldom left out in the notices calling for ten- 
ders for victualling our jails and hospitals ! 
The fruit has too many seeds and no flesh. 
Hence its name. I can state by experience that 
plantains can by cultivation be made to 
acquire exquisite flavours. 
The Plantain takes 8 to 12 months to yield, ' 
About 100 bushes gave me a return of Rs. 20 to 
Rs. 25 per mensem for 5 years, and with no more 
attention than keeping cattle off. 
Here is an opening for safe enterprize. 
GEO. AVEEEAKOON, 
Mudaliyar, Wellaboda Pattu, Matarct. 
4i, 
FIRST STEPS IN AGRICULTURE. 
First Stage— Jfth Lesson, 
BY A. J. B, 
You must not run away with the idea that 
everything a farmer sows in the ground will bo 
sure to grow nicely and yield him a good crop. 
There are a great many enemies which the plant 
has to fight against, and it must conquer them 
all, because, once these enemies have beaten the 
plant, the poor thing can never rise up or gain 
strength to fight again. At every attack it gets 
weaker and weaker, and at last, if no help comes, 
it must droop and die. You know that a small 
band of soldiers has often been surrounded by 
such a large number of the enemy that there 
seemed to be danger of their all being killed. 
Then a strong body of their friends has appeared, 
and together they have attacked and beaten off 
the enemy, and the first little band was saved. 
Now, just suppose the plant to bo in the place of 
the little band of soldiers. The enemy comes 
along iu the shape of caterpillars and other insects, 
and they begin eating up the leaves or fruit or 
