BANANA 



BAPTISIA 



131 



increased by the above process, but as these species 

 usually produce seeds freely, seedlings can be more 

 quickly grown, and with less trouble. The seeds of 

 Bananas should be sown as fresh as possible, treating 

 them the same as recommended for root-cuttings. As 

 soon as the seedlings show their first leaves, they should 

 be transplanted into well-prepared beds of rich, moist 

 soil, or potted off and plunged into slight bottom heat, 

 as the needs of the grower or his location may demand. 

 Both seedlings and root-cuttings should have proper 

 transplanting, sufficient room and rich soil, as a rapid, 

 unchecked growth gives the best and quickest results. 

 The cultivation of Bananas for fruit is carried on very 

 extensively in all tropical countries. In theWest Indies, 

 Central America and Mexico, they are raised for export 

 to the United States and Canada. The site selected is 

 usually a level plain in the lowlands, near the coast, or 

 in valleys among the hills, where the rainfall or artificial 

 moisture is sufficient. The variety most commonly 

 grown at present is the Martinique,having large bunches, 

 with long, yellow fruit. The Barac.oa (or fled Jamaica) 

 is more sparingly grown now than formerly, and its dark 

 red fruits, of largest size, are not commonly exported. 

 For distant shipping, bunches of fruit are cut with 

 "machetes" or knives, after they reach their full size 

 and are almost mature, but quite green in color. Ripen- 

 ing is effected during shipment in warm weather, and 

 by storing in dark, artificially-heated rooms during cold 

 weather. Banana flour is a valuable product of ripe 

 Bananas prepared among the plantations in the tropics. 

 It is nutritious, and has an increasing demand and use 

 as human food. A recently invented process of drying 

 ripe Bananas has been found very successful, and the 

 industry promises to be of vast importance as the mar- 

 ketable article finds ready sale. In the United States 

 there is little commercial cultivation of Bananas, since 

 the frostless zone is narrow and the fruit can be grown 



iana, and southwestward to the Pacific coast. The plants 

 will endure a slight frost without injury. A frost of 5 

 or 6 degrees will kill the leaves, but if the plants are 

 nearly full grown at the time, new foliage may appear 

 and fruit may form. If the entire top is killed, new 

 suckers will spring up and bear fruit the following year. 

 A stalk, or trunk, bears but once ; but the new sprouts 

 which arise from the roots of the same plant continue 



187. A bearing Banana plant. 



PO much more cheaply in Central America and the West 

 Indies. Small Banana plantations are common in south- 

 ern Florida, however, and even as far north as Jackson- 

 ville. They are also grown in extreme southern Louis- 



188. Tip of flower-cluster of Banana. 



the fruit-bearing. A strong sprout should bear when 

 12-18 months old (from 2-3 years in hothouses). The 

 plantation will, therefore, continue to bear for many 

 years. A bearing stalk, as grown in southern California, 

 is shown in Fig. 187. 



The peculiar flower-bearing of the Banana is shown in 

 Fig. 188, which illustrates the tip of a flower-cluster. 

 This cluster may be likened to a giant elongating bud, 

 with large, tightly overlapping scales or bracts. Three 

 of these bracts are shown at a a a, in different stages of 

 the flowering. As they rise or open, the flowers below 

 them expand. The bracts soon fall. The flowers soon 

 shed their envelopes, but the styles, &, persist for a 

 time. The ovaries soon swell into Bananas, c. The bracts 

 are royal purple and showy. E> N> REASONER. 



BANCROFT, GEORGE. The famous American his- 

 torian (1800-1891) deserves remembrance among horti- 

 culturists for his splendid collection of roses at his sum- 

 mer home in Newport, R. I., an account of which may 

 be found in the American Garden, 1891. For a portrait 

 and sketch, see Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia for 1890. 

 In Mr. Bancroft's garden, George Field found a rose with- 

 out a name, which is now known to be the French variety 

 Mme. Ferdinand Jamin. It was introduced by Field & 

 Bro. as the American Beauty. Though little known 

 abroad, it is, probably, the most famous of all roses cult, 

 in America. 



BANEBERRY. See Actcea. 



BANESIA (Sir Joseph Banks, 1743-1820, famous Eng- 

 lish scientist). Protedcece. Many species of Australian 

 evergreen shrubs, with handsome foliage, but scarcely 

 known in cult. he x re. Prop, by nearly mature cuttings, 

 in frames. 



BANYAN TREE. See Ficus Indica. 

 BAOBAB. See Adansonia. 



BAPTtSIA (Greek, to dye, alluding to the coloring 

 matter in some species). Syn., Podalyria. Z/egumindsce. 

 Small genus of perennial herbs of eastern N. Amer. 

 Corolla papilionaceous, the standard not larger than the 

 wings : calyx campanulate, the 5 teeth separate and 

 equal or the 2 upper ones united: stamens 10, distinct : 

 pod stalked in the calyx. Plants usually turn black in 

 drying. Baptisias are suitable for borders. They thrive 

 in any ordinary soil and under common treatment, pre- 

 ferring free exposure to sun. Prop, by division or 

 seeds. 



