The Sherbro and its hinterland . present local price of a very fine bunch of bananas,such as the one shown, is sixpence, and no doubt this couldbe reduced were the banana cultivated in greater quantitiesas an article of commerce. The only drawback that I cansee to the exporting of Sherbro fruits is the want of quickand regular steam transport. What is needed is a serviceof small steamers specially fitted for fruit-carrying. With bananas, of course, may be included that largerand coarser description known as plantains, and much usedon the Coast as a vegetable. THE PINE-APPLE The pine-apple, per
The Sherbro and its hinterland . present local price of a very fine bunch of bananas,such as the one shown, is sixpence, and no doubt this couldbe reduced were the banana cultivated in greater quantitiesas an article of commerce. The only drawback that I cansee to the exporting of Sherbro fruits is the want of quickand regular steam transport. What is needed is a serviceof small steamers specially fitted for fruit-carrying. With bananas, of course, may be included that largerand coarser description known as plantains, and much usedon the Coast as a vegetable. THE PINE-APPLE The pine-apple, perhaps, is even more prolific than thebanana, because it is an indigenous plant which is in noway cultivated by the people, and grows absolutely may traverse miles of country of which both sides ofthe pathway are fringed by these plants, and, naturally, ifsome very slight attention were given in the way of culti-vation, practically any quantity of pine-apples could begrown. The plants are very large, and sometimes four or. \To face page 89. Fig. 25.—Cocoa Nut Iaim in Full ;, Suerbro. X FRUITS 89 five pines may be seen upon one plant. The drawback fortable decoration is that, tops not being looked after, theydo not always grow straight; and sometimes in the placeof the handsome crown with which we are familiar, thereis merely a coarse short growth of little leaves. The price of pine-apples in Sherbro is about a halfpenny ;but upon an occasion, when I was at Sulima, I remembermy cook coming to me one morning to inform me thata canoe had just arrived at the river-side laden withpine-apples, which the people had refused to buy becausethey said they were too dear. He stated that the pricewas eight for two copper (one penny), but the peoplewanted twelve for that money. I said that personallyI was satisfied with the price, and I gave him threepence,with instructions to get me two dozen. He went awayand returned with two dozen of the finest pine-apples thatI had ever s
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