BEGINNING OF A GREAT TRAFFIC
BEGINNING OF A GREAT TRAFFIC
Mr. Asser estimates the entire cost of a ton of banana meal, delivered in Europe, at $23. This includes cost of cultivation, gathering the crop, making the meal, and the freight. At that time the average market value of Indian wheat in Liverpool was $30 per ton. Considering the selling value of the meal to be no greater than that of the wheat, the prices quoted would show a margin of profit equal to about 30 per cent. on the capital invested.
From British Guiana comes the following interesting information about plátano flour, taken from a report by Dr. Shier on the “Starch-producing Plants” of that country:
The plantain is so abundant and cheap that it might, if cut and dried in its green state, be exported with advantage. It is in this unripe state that it is so largely used by the peasantry of this Colony as an article of food. When dried and reduced to the state of meal, it cannot like wheat flour, be manufactured into macaroni or vermicelli, or, at least, the macaroni made from it falls into powder when put into hot water. Plantain meal is prepared by stripping off the husk of the plantain, slicing the core, and drying it in the sun. When thoroughly dry it is powdered and sifted. It has a fragrant odor, acquired in drying, somewhat resembling fresh hay or tea. It is largely employed as the food of infants and invalids. In respect to nutritiveness it deserves a preference over all the pure starches on account of the proteine compounds it contains. The flavor of the meal depends a good deal on the rapidity with which the slices are dried. Above all, the plantain must not be allowed to approach too closely to yellowness or ripeness, otherwise it becomes impossible to dry 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. Full-sized and well-filled bunches give 60 per cent. of core to 40 per cent. of husk and top-stem; but in general it would be found that the core did not much exceed 50 per cent. of dry meal, so that from 20 to 25 per cent. of meal is obtained from the plantain, or 5 pounds from the average bunch of 25 pounds; and an acre of plantain walk of average quality, producing during the year 450 such bunches, would yield 4 tons and 10 pounds of meal.
In 1891, C. W. Meaden wrote from Trinidad to the following effect in relation to a trial shipment of dried bananas: