304 APPENDIX 



protect it from wind. Water it carefully until the 

 root sprouts; then dig away the earth, split the root 

 with a gold-bladed knife, and in that cleft introduce 

 the date seed. The operation must be concealed in 

 such a manner that the colocasia root can not see what 

 is being done, otherwise the operation will not suc- 

 ceed. The seed used should be from a date of the 

 variety Kasbeh or any other delicate variety. Bind 

 up the cut with reed leaves or woolen thread and 

 plaster the whole thing over with mud mixed with 

 fine hairs, then cover it four fingers deep with humus. 

 Water it with sweet water daily or every other day 

 until the germination is apparent, then you will see 

 the banana appear. If planted in January or February 

 you will get fruit at the end of summer; this fact is 

 very extraordinary. Some think the seed should be 

 broken before it is put in the cleft; I have tried it 

 without success. 



"A witness worthy of faith tells me he has seen 

 the operation performed in the orient in this manner: 

 Take a seed in its fruit, using pains to get a female 

 seed — it is that which is short and not pointed at the 

 end. Introduce the seed in a colocasia root, which 

 resembles a turnip or artichoke root; cover it with a 

 little humus, water it continuously, and abundantly, 

 and there will appear a banana, which is a kind of 

 colocasia, but rare in Spain, if indeed it is known at 

 all." 



Another MS. version, more probably correct, 

 makes Ibn Awam say that he has never been able to 

 try the operation, because he could not secure any 

 colocasias. 



