December i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



425 



but by resorting to the costly means of artificial irrigation. 

 I would, therefore, iu point of economy and en ehemico- 

 physiological grounds, recommend the rainy season to be 

 the best for planting in places wanting in the natural 

 advantages of humidity in the soil of Bengal, Assam, and 

 British Burmah. 



GEOGRAPHICAI, DISTEIBCTION. 



Plants of the N. O. viusacae are natives of various parts 

 of the world; but all of them, on close examination, will 

 be found to floiu-ish under the same physical conditions of 

 the atmospheric air and soil. The following is the natural 

 geographical distributive scheme of all important cultivated 

 edible species of the plantain and banana order as established 

 by the researches of Prof essor Baron F. von JIueller, K.C.M.G., 

 M.D., Ph.D., F.R.s. The wording and arrangement are my 

 own; but the subject-matter (from «. to i/.) partly belongs 

 to this distinguished natm-alist and doctor, and partly to 

 various eminent botanical authorities of older times. 



(a.) Musa Cavandishii. — Native of China ; has been traus- 

 lated to the South Sea Islands, where it is now extensively 

 grown. M. Carandishii has been found to succeed in Madeira 

 and Florida (artificial). 



(b.j JIusa parailisiuca. — India is the native habitat of 

 this most extensively cultivated species, which is said to 

 have one hundred varieties. 



(o.) Mnsn sapicntnm. — Insular India, extending to the 

 Indian Ai'chipelagoes. 



(il.) Musa tro(jlodytarum. — Older botanists mention its 

 nativity to be in India. Baron Miieller, however, has as- 

 certained it, in addition to India, to be indigenous to the 

 Fiji and other Islands of the Pacific Ocean. 



(e.) Musa simiarum. — Indigenous to Malacca as far as 

 the Sunda Islands. This plantain, with its varieties, fifty 

 in number, are also to be found in the Indian Archipelagoes. 



(/'.) Musa Lirinr/stonia. — Native of African mountains of 

 Sofala, Mozambique, and the Niger regions. 



(y.) Musa c'lK^cti'.- — Tliis plantain, the most magnificent 



of the order, is a native of the mountains of Sofala to 



^Vbyssinia in North Africa. I may add it is unknown iu 



^nclia to the masses of the people, existing perhaps in the 



Botanical gardens. Tery eligible for introduction in India. 



The edible part of this plant is the inner stema. 



(/i.) Musa cornicwlata. — Native of Insular India. 

 BOILS. 



Loami/ soil of the calcareous order, of the species having 

 more liuvius and less lime. 



Clay 

 Lime 

 Humus 



8and 



COMPOSITION OF SOIL. 



40 parts. 

 3 „ 

 5 „ 



52 „ 



100 „ 



Plantain will grow iu any soil, even in the most sandy. 

 In such a soil, in the Lucknow Agri-Horticultiu-al Gardens, 

 many species and varieties of plantain are growing; but 

 are productive of bad results, since they neither fruit well 

 nor are the fruits so palatable and imtritious as those of 

 Lower Bengal, Burmah, China and other places. Plantain 

 requu-es good percentage of clai/ and humus in the soil 

 without which, as a plantain grower. I can, from personal 

 observations, testify that it is useless to cultivate this plant; 

 especially where quality as well as quantity of the fruit are 

 objects points untleniably every cultivator do and should 

 aim at. Much lime in the soil is bad for plantain; in 

 moderate quantity, it is highly beneficial. This I say from 

 my failing to obtain fruit from plants grown on highly 

 calcareous soil, in which slender stem and stunted appear- 

 ance (sure signs of not fruiting) of plants of three years' 

 standing, were the results. During these three years they 

 never fruited ; had, therefore, to be rooted up. But in 

 Boil having less lime, more huinuSj good percentage of c/f/y 

 and sufficient sand to keep the soil loose and friable, I 

 have in six months calcrdated from the time of planting, 

 succeeded to grow otf shoots two feet high of the tall 

 varieties intoalmost full-grown size, measuringtwelve feet high 

 to the apex of the leaf, ready to throw out fruit-spike by 

 the end of the rainy season. The off-shoots were planted 

 in February, and the above height acquired by the end 

 of July. 



CHEMISTRY OF THE PLANTAIN PLANT. 



The centennial composition of the plautaui plant in a 

 green or fresh undried state will appear from the following 

 table, being the mean of 7 analyses: — 



Organic 



Centennial chemical composition of the inorganic or ash 

 portion, being mean of 7 analyses: — 



Leaves. Stem. Friut including 



rind. 

 Oxide of lion ... 

 Oxide of potassium 

 CIdoride of potassium 

 Chloride of sodium... 

 Oxide of calcium 

 Oxide of magnesium 

 Phosphoric acid 

 Carbonic acid 

 Sulphuric acid 

 Oxide of silicon 

 AVaste, i e, earthy "| 



matter, or oxide > 



of aluminum... J 

 Total 



The foregoing tables should be taken as approximate data 

 of the chemical constituents of all species and varieties of 

 the plantain plant. The tables have been constructed 

 from analyses of seven different edible varieties of plant- 

 ain in general cultivation iu Bengal, and from there dis- 

 seminated in other parts of India. 



The organic principles of the plantain fruit are starch 

 in abundance, and protein compounds, hence, the fruit is 

 nitrogenous and excellent food. The pith of the stem and 

 root bulb contain starch. These principles exists in differ- 

 ent proportions in the same plant, and in different spe- 

 cies and varieties, cultivation and fertihxing matters in the 

 soil having also much influence in augmenting or lessening 

 them. 



PARTITIONING, TRENCHING, AND BLANDKING OF SOIL. 



The soil, measuring 660' x 66', or one acre, should be par- 

 titioned off breadthwise in 3 partitions by 2 water chan- 

 nels, allowing 2' for each water channel ; and having trenches 

 4' each wide with intervening space of 6' from border of 

 trench to trench: — thus, we will have 660 -i-( 6' intervening 

 space from trench -1-4' width of each trench)=()6 trenches 

 in each partition and (66' 66' -f- (2' space occupied by one 

 water channel + 2' space for the other water channeI=:lG 

 — 6"=length of each trench, or length of each trench. 

 These trenches. 380 in nmnber, 20 — 8 long and 4' broad each, 

 should be marked and prepared, two months before the 

 planting time by digging 3' deep, one foot of earth of which 

 should be thrown on two side-spaces on both sides of each 

 trench. This finished, suitable manure or compost should 

 be thrown iu the trenches, thoroughly incorporated with 

 the soil, and irrigated with liquid manure, if available, or 

 witli water. The irrigation is required for inducing physical 

 changes iu the soil by which the manure and soil are ren- 

 dered eminently fit as plant-food ingredients. It might be 

 ommited if natural irrigation by the fall of rain be available, 

 otherwise it is indispensable. 



UTILIZATION OF BLANK EPACES. 



In the first and subsequent years of plantain planting much 

 space is available, both in the trenches and iu the space 

 intervem'ug them, which cei-tainly can be utlized in various 

 ways, for raising of seedlings and cuttings of various kinds 

 requiring sheltered positions, and for placing pots, &c., cou" 

 taining stocks for budding, ioarehiug, and grafting, 



