268 THE CHIEF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL CROPS 



and carry from the field every bunch of grass that 

 makes its appearance. Tliis is much cheaper than 

 attempting to cultivate in lands that are already in- 

 fested with grasses, and it is astonishing how large 

 an area a single man can keep absolutely clean by 

 this method. In the older districts suitable new 

 lands are no longer available, and this method can- 

 not be employed. Each sucker produces a bunch of 

 fruit in about fifteen months. When the fruit is 

 cut, the stalk dies and makes room for the growth of 

 the new suckers that have sprung up from its roots. 

 The same plantation thus produces fruit continu- 

 ously for many years, but constant care is needed in 

 thinning out the suckers or they will soon become 

 too crowded to produce salable bunches. The crop 

 is a continuous one throughout the year, but it is 

 much heavier at some seasons than at others, this 

 mainly depending on the distribution of the rainfall. 

 The time of fruiting can also be controlled to some 

 extent when thinning the suckers, by saving only 

 those of a certain size which will naturally bear at 

 the desired season. 



Bananas are always cut green even when intended 

 for home consumption. If allowed to hang on the 

 stalk, they ripen unevenly, so that many are wasted 

 and the quality is no better than when house ripened. 

 The bunches are handled and loaded in bulk without 

 packing of any kind. Ships for the banana trade 

 need to be especially constructed so as to allow for 

 a free circulation of air below decks and to be abun- 

 dantly provided with ventilator funnels. More than 

 one cargo has rotted and been dumped overboard 



