[ 335 3 



round the base of each clump. In one year the tree should 

 be in bearing. When the bunch "of fruits has formed pro- 

 perly, the portion of the inflorescence hanging on should be 

 cut away that the nourishment which would have been 

 wasted on it might go to develope the properly formed 

 plantains. The tree should be cut down from the base as 

 soon as a bunch has ripened. No clump should have more 

 than 3 suckers at its base. All extra suckers should be taken 

 out in June or July and planted elsewhere if necessary. 

 The leaves should not be cut away except from trees that are 

 cut down after they have borne fruits. 300 to 600 bunches 

 of plantains yielding about Rs. 150, may be expected per 

 acre per annum from a plantation of bananas. The coarser 

 kinds being more prolific than the finer kinds, the variety 

 makes little difference to the outturn under ordinary treat- 

 ment. 



499. The kdnthdli variety produces the best fibre. The 

 leaf sheathes may be passed through a sugarcane mill with 

 smooth rollers, then combed on both sides with a brass 

 comb which will bring out most of the cellular substance. 

 The blunt edge of a sickle may be afterwards used for getting 

 more of the cellular substance out. The bundles of fibre 

 are then to be washed in water and afterwards boiled with 

 ashes or soft-soap and then rinsed well in plain water, wrung 

 and exposed in thin layers to dry in shade. The bundles of 

 fibre are to be exposed to dew for three successive nights 

 and in day time the drying should proceed in the shade. 

 Plantain fibre is worth at least twice as much as jute. 



500. Manilla hemp is the produce of a plant (Musa 

 textiles) allied to banana. It is very much superior to the 

 fibre obtained from kdnthdli plantain trees, 





