143 



ci 



parts of Central America, and Mnsa Cavendishii, Lam., the 

 Canary Banana.'' 



In tlie present work descriptions of 66 species of Musa are given. 

 In tlie sub-genus Eitmusa, the tAvo kinds above mentioned and tlie 

 '^ Manila Hemp Banana " {Musa textilis, Nees) are the best known 

 and most useful representatives. 



There are 34 chapters dealing with general cultural details, 

 fungous and insect pests ; bananas as food and in medicine ; drying, 

 trade, transport; wine, whisky, alcohol and fibres from bananas; 

 a general review of cultivation throughout the tropics; horticul- 

 tural and botanical notes ; banana allies ; species of Musa, and an 

 appendix giving recipes for cooking the fruits. 



Seventeen illustrations are given, including two reproductions 

 of ''A Banana Plant,'' from Hughes, *' History of Barbados" 

 (1750), and Labat, *^Nouveau Voyage aux Isles de I'Amerique " 

 (1721), and several modern photographs. A few illustrations of 

 the various kinds of suckers would have enhanced the value of 

 chapters iii. and vi. on ^^ Planting, Pruning and Treatment of 

 Suckers," since ^^ maiden suckers," '^ sword suckers," ^^ fol- 

 lowers," ^^ratoons" and '^peepers" are mentioned. Most of 

 chapter vi. is exiracted from the Journal of the Jamaica Agricul- 

 tural Society (xvi. 305, 1912), and the writer (H. Q. Levy) admits 

 the difficulty of explaining on paper the details of the essential 

 operation of pruning; he also states '^ there is no part of banana 

 cultivation that needs as much individual attention, superA^ision 

 and judgment as the pruning. The retaining of wrong suckers 

 may mean the loss of hundreds of pounds to the large cultivator." 



The chapter on Alcohol is particularly appropriate and of special 

 value in view of the widely spread interest taken at the present 

 time on its prospects as a substitute for petrol. The utilisation of 

 the waste material, other than that fit only for use as manure, in 

 such an industry is a problem of some force throughout the tropics 

 and worthy of every consideration. It is calculated (p. 127) that 

 in Jamaica alone over 3,000,000 bunches of bananas, value about 

 £200,000 are produced annually, which cannot be profitably 



exported. 



In the chapter on ^^ Manila Hemp and other Fibres from species 

 of Musa " reference is made to Musa Ensete, Gmel. of Abyssinia, 

 grown for fibre in German East Africa; Musa ulugurensis, Warb. 

 and Moritz, a new species from IJIuguru, German East Africa — 

 fibre regarded ?i^ a very useful material, value .£40 per ton — and 

 the " Wild Banana " {Musa Livingstoniana, Kirk) from Nairobi, 

 British East Africa, all of which belong to the sub-genus PJtyso- 

 caulis or swollen-stemmed Musas. 



When so much has been written on a subject like the present, 

 reference to other works on the same or allied plants cannot be 

 avoided, and the work under consideration is no exception in this 

 respect, though every source that has been drawn upon is duly 



acknowledged. The book has evidently been prepared with great 



care and the author's many years of experience in Jamaica, re- 

 ferred to in the foreword by Sir Uaniel Morris, is a sufficient 

 guarantee of the value this book will be to planters and all 

 interested in the botany, agriculture or commerce of the Banana. 



J. H. H. 



