26 THE BANANA 



be only of six or seven hands. A maiden sucker should be 

 planted upright, and the hole must be of sufficient depth 

 to allow the eye to be buried at least 8 in. below the 

 surface. 



Sword-suckers are used in supplying " gall " spots in 

 established fields, and for planting the outside rows of 

 land adjacent to woodland. They should be between 

 6 and 8 ft. high, planted in an upright position, with all 

 the leaves trimmed off except the unopened heart one. 



On moist soils " sword-suckers," cut down to within 

 8 in. of the bulb, may be used. The bulb is placed flat 

 on its side in the hole. 



Suckers to be used for planting should be most carefully 

 gathered, and this is not always easy, when they are dug 

 from stools growing in stiff clay soil. The utmost care 

 should be taken not to bend the soft part of the sucker 

 just where it joins the bulb, for any sucker injured in this 

 way is worthless. 



Preparation of Suckers. Some planters put the seed- 

 suckers in the ground at once ; others leave them to dry 

 for three or four days, and then plant. Others again find 

 that they get better results by piling them in heaps 8 to 

 10 deep, then trash is thrown over them to keep off the 

 sun, and they are left a month. The best way to pile 

 them is to erect fences 3 ft. 6 in. high to enclose a con- 

 venient spot 6 ft. wide and of any length necessary. It 

 is, however, better to plant at once, if the suckers are in 

 good condition. The real reason for leaving them for a 

 month is when they are inferior, and it is necessary to 

 determine which have growing-eyes. 



