BANANA 



increased by the above process, biit as these species 

 usually proiluce seeds freely, seedlings can be more 

 quickly grown, and with less trouble. The seeils of 

 Bananas should be sown as fresh as possible, treating 

 them the same as recommended for root-cuttiugs. As 

 soon as the seedlings show their first leaves, they should 

 be transplanted into well-prepared beds of rich, moist 

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

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

 Both seedlings and root-cuttings sliould have proper 

 transplanting. sut^i"ii-Tit room runl ri-'h snil. a^ n r:i]>id. 

 unchecked growth -iv,-~ tli.- h,-^i ;iiMi c|iii.'k.-f r.-ult-^. 

 Thecultivati..n-f l'.,-,i,,ui:.~ t,.r l run i~ r,Mrn,-.l ..,, x,ry 

 extensively in all tr"|iii-,il iMuntiir^. In ili.' W. -i In.lii-^, 

 Central America ana .M.xi.'u, th. y jiv rai-v.l f.ii- nxiM.rt 

 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 suiEcient. The variety most commonly 

 grown at present is the Martinique, having large bunches, 

 with long, yellow fruit. The Bara(;oa (or Red 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. Eipen- 

 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 



BAPTISIA 



131 



187. A bearmg 



so 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- 



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 



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, 6, persist for a 

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

 ue royal purple and showy. 



BANCROFT, GEOKGE. 



t nan (1800-1891) deserv. 

 (ulturi'itsforhis splinidi.l 

 7uer home in Newpurt. K 

 be found in the Annniran 

 sketch. 



5. N. REA.SONEE. 



The famous American his- 

 ■s rfmr-mbrauce among horti- 

 .■•■llrctinii of roses at his sum- 



I.. an ,■ unt of which may 



ilaiilin. ls;U. For a portrait 

 s Annual Cyclopedia for 1890. 

 in Mr Bancroft's garden, (leorge 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. 



BANEBEBBT. See.liton. 



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

 lish scientist). Protedcete. Many species of Australian 

 evergreen shrubs, with handsome foliage, but scarcely 

 known in cult. here. Prop, by nearly mature cuttings, 

 in frames. 



BANYAN TBEE. See Ficus Indica. 



BAOBAB. See Aclansonla. 



BAFTtSIA (Greek, to dye, alluding to the coloring 

 matter in some species). Syn. , Podalyria. Legumindsa. 

 Small genus of perennial herbs of eastern N. Amer. 

 Corolla papilionaceous, the stan<lard not larger than the 

 wings : calyx canipaiuilatn, tlir ."> teeth separate and 

 equal or the 2 upper <.nc-s niiit.-.i : stamens 10, distinct : 

 pod stalked in the calyx.- I'laats usually turn black in 

 drying. Baptisias are suitable fur borders. They thrive 

 in any ordinary soil and under common treatment, pre- 

 ferring free exposure to sun. Prop, by division or 

 seeds. 



