THE PLANT 15 



conditions in the wild state is carried on by insects carrying 

 pollen from one plant to another. 



As part of the ovary, namely, the pulp, is of value for 

 food, it is advantageous to those who want the food that 

 there should be no fertilization and consequent formation 

 of seeds to which all the valuable constituents of the sap 

 would go instead of to the pulp. It is, therefore, fortunate 

 from the point of view of a food-supply that there appears 

 to be some difficulty in the way of insects pollinating the 

 female flowers of the banana plant. The neuter flowers 

 may be compared to the vestigial structures occurring 

 sometimes in nature, which have lost their utility under 

 modern conditions and have become more or less atrophied. 



THE FRUIT 



It takes from two and a half to four months after 

 shooting before the fruit becomes "full," i.e. attains full 

 size before ripening (Fig. 4). 



For local use it is considered that fruit has a better 

 flavour if cut when " full " and allowed to ripen hung 

 up, rather than if it is left to fully ripen while still attached 

 to the plant. For export, consideration has to be given 

 to the time that will be taken on the voyage, and naturally 

 fruit must be cut much earlier for a voyage of twelve or 

 thirteen days than for one of only four or five days. The 

 earlier it is cut before becoming " full," the greater the 

 want of flavour and ripe consistence. The aim of in- 

 ventors of methods of storage of fruit should be directed 

 towards arresting all chemical change in the fruit ; if such 

 a method could be perfected, the fruit need not be cut 

 until it is " full," and the true flavour would be developed 

 on ripening. 



ORIGIN OF SEEDLESS VARIETIES 



The fruit does not produce seed in the cultivated 

 varieties, and on this point several questions may be 

 raised for consideration : What was the origin of seedless 



