46 DIMOEPHIC BEANCHES IN TEOPICAL CEOP PLANTS. 



The use of the most vigorous suckers appears especially important, 

 not only to obtain the earliest possible crop from a new plantation, 

 but because it is also highly desirable for a new plantation to grow up 

 rapidly and shade the ground as soon as possible, thus protecting 

 itself from harmful weeds and lessening the cost of cultivation. The 

 later welfare of the plantation may also be affected by its early pros- 

 perity. The shading of the ground not only helps to maintain favor- 

 able soil conditions and thus conduces to larger crops, but larger 

 numbers of the quick-growing sword suckers are produced in pros- 

 perous, shady plantations. The exposure of the base of a banana 

 plant to much light appears to stimulate the formation of broad- 

 leaved suckers, as though the plants had the intention to occupy the 

 surrounding land before turning their attention to the production 

 of fruit. 



THE PLANTING OF RESTING TUBERS. 



Although the production of many broad-leaved suckers may be 

 considered to represent an unfavorable condition in a plantation, 

 they are not without interest and utility from other points of view. 

 The much greater abundance in which the broad-leaved suckers are 

 produced would render them of very distinct importance in any 

 attempt to propagate a new variety or special strain derived from a 

 single superior plant. A rootstock can not be expected to produce 

 more than three or four sword suckers at one time, while a score, or 

 perhaps several scores, of broad-leaved shoots might be obtained if 

 a plant were treated with this end in vieAV. Study might well be 

 given to the finding of differences in habits of branching. A strain 

 that Avould produce only a few suckers would be more valuable in the 

 plantation, for the pruning away of superfluous suckers is one of the 

 chief items of expense in many banana plantations. Such a strain 

 might be at a disadvantage, however, in furnishing stocks for new 



to grow to about 8 or 10 feet in height and which have large bulbs at their base. 

 No small suckers, such as we choose in this colony, are taken. In preparing 

 their suckers for planting the Jamaicans cut down those selected to within about 

 6 inches of the ground and then dig out the bulbs. All the old roots are then 

 trimmed off, and the bulb is planted so that the eyes are at least 3 or 4 inches 

 below the level of the ground. From this bulb three or four suckers will spring 

 up. The strongest one is selected, and all the others are pruned off until 

 June, when one or two suckers are left, and then, again, all others are pruned 

 off until October, when there is again left either one or two, and finally another 

 is left the following February. It is calculated that the first suckers should 

 fruit in the following March, the June suckers in May, the October ones in 

 February or Iilarch, twelve months, and the February one in May or June, 

 twelve months. This system for timing is the outcome of long experience and 

 could not be adopted in this colony without modification on account of differ- 

 ences in climatic and rainfall conditions." 

 198 



