CHAPTER IV 

 IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE 



IRRIGATION 



THE water channels should be close to the suckers when 

 first planted, but when the plants are well established the 

 channels should be made in the centre of the rows, for if 

 the water is applied close to the base of the stem it en- 

 courages the production and growth of suckers, and in 

 this way unnecessarily weakens the plant. As already 

 stated, water is supplied to young plants every five or six 

 days, to ratoons every ten days, at the rate of two to two 

 and a half cubic yards to each acre. 



DRAINAGE 



Perfect drainage is absolutely necessary for bananas. 

 It is even more important to elaborate a system of drains 

 for an irrigation district than to provide water channels, 

 for more harm is done by having too much water than too 

 little. If there is too little water the processes of life go 

 slow, growth may cease for a time and be renewed when 

 water is supplied again without damage being done other 

 than delay in the formation of the bunch. But with too 

 much water the soil becomes water-logged, decaying 

 organic matter in the soil produces a harmful acidity and 

 sourness, and air is prevented from penetrating amongst 

 the interstices of the soil, which is necessary not only for 

 the production of food material, but for the welfare of the 

 root system. For these reasons drains are equally im- 

 portant on clayey soils or subsoils where the water is 



27 



