CONTENTS 



CHVP. *AGB 



I. THE PLANT 1 



II. CULTIVATION. GENERAL OPERATIONS. PREPARATION 



OF LAND. CLEARING. DISTANCE. DIGGING HOLES 20 



III. PLANTING. TIME OF YEAR. SEED-SUCKERS. PRE- 



PARATION OF SUCKERS 25 



IV. IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE 27 



V. CULTIVATION AFTER PLANTING. MULCHING. EARTH 



MULCH. DRY MULCH. GREEN MULCH. PLOUGHING 29 



VI. PRUNING AND TREATMENT OF SUCKERS. REASONS 

 FOR PRUNING. METHOD. CHOOSING AND TIMING. 



PRUNING LEAVES 37 



VII. HARVESTING AND REPLANTING 41 



VIII. BANANAS AS NURSE-PLANTS AND AS A CATCH-CROP 48 



IX. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND PROSPECTS FOR 

 BEGINNERS. COST OF CULTIVATION AND RECEIPTS. 



PROSPECTS FOR THOSE STARTING CULTIVATION 61 



X. BANANA SOILS IN JAMAICA 66 



XI. HUMUS. FARMYARD MANURE. Lma 65 



XII. FERTILIZERS 69 



XIII. FUNGUS DISEASES 83 



XIV. INSECT PESTS 99 

 XV. BANANAS AS I[oop 107 



XVI. BANANAS IN MEDICINE 125 



XVII. WINE, WHISKY, AND ALCOHOL FROM BANANAS 127 



XVIII. DRYING BANANAS FOR FLOUR AND FIGS 137 



XIX. MANILA HEMP AND OTHER FIBRES FROM SPECIES OF 



MUSA 148 



XX. DEVELOPMENT OF THE BANANA TRADE 155 



XXI. TRANSPORT BY SBA 166 



ix 



