BANANAS

are both very nutritious and extremely prolific. It is said that 1 lb. of B. contains more nutriment than 3 lbs. of meat, and that 4000 lbs. of B. will grow on le space than 35 lbs. of wheat. They can De put to all sorts of uses. For instance, in Uganda they are converted into beer, brandy, champagne, vinegar, and jam the leaves are used to build ana roof houses, and bits; of them serve as plates, spoons, and bottles. A single leaf may act as an umbrella, a series of them as a lady’s ^kirt or a baby’s cradle. B. are really herbs, but grow to the height and have the appearance of (palm-) trees. There is Banks really no difference between B. and Plantains; but the large-fruited kinds, which are very farinaceous, are generally called P., and the small-fruited kinds, which contain a high percentage of saccharine, are generally called B.