238 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



group of flowers. Gradually the sheath drops, 

 the showy stamens fall away, and finger-like green 

 fruits in the familiar "hand" of eight to fifteen 

 bananas are seen. How near these come to ripen- 

 ing depends upon the latitude and the season. 



Warmth and sun are supplied in a narrow belt 

 that crosses southern Florida. This is the north- 

 ern rim of the "banana belt" that covers the West 

 Indies and Central America, and on around the 

 globe. Southern Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and 

 southern California have paying banana planta- 

 tions within a narrow area. 



The banana stalk grows in the Tropics to a 

 height of thirty feet. This is its maximum, of 

 course. In ordinary plantations no such giants 

 are seen. Fancy harvesting the single clusters of 

 fruit from such stalks! The rootstocks under- 

 ground live on, sending up new shoots, which 

 reach maturity and fruit within a year or eighteen 

 months from the time they start. Immediately 

 after fruiting the stalk dies. The planter's job is 

 to cut out these stalks as fast as he harvests the 

 fruit clusters. 



The fruit is cut green but full-grown, and put 

 directly into the hold of vessels that sail without 

 delay for northern cities. The jobbers have cars 

 in waiting to distribute the cargo to inland points. 



