80 THE BANANA 



" The banana requires a complete manure, bringing to 

 the soil at the same time nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and 

 potash, with predominance of the last-named element. 

 We are happy to find ourselves on this point in perfect 

 agreement with the views of M. Dugast on the one part, 

 and on the other part with those of M. Teissonnier, Chief 

 of the Agricultural Service of French Guinea, who has 

 studied very closely on its own ground the manuring of the 

 banana. 



" Most frequently the dead leaves and stems of the banana 

 are used as manure ; in these it is thought that the greater 

 part of the elements removed from the soil are restored to 

 it ; but the useful effect of this vegetable matter is very 

 feeble, on account of the slowness of their decomposition, 

 and it is preferable, according to the authoritative advice 

 of Semler, to make composts of them in mixing them with 

 ashes, lime, farmyard manure, &c., and to allow them to 

 rot during a year still it will be necessary to add potash 

 and phosphoric acid in which they are deficient. The 

 guanos, generally employed at the Azores and in the 

 Canary Islands, the oil-cakes and the fish-manure em- 

 ployed in India, are equally insufficient, and ought also to 

 be made complete by the addition of potassic and phos- 

 phated manures. 



" Some excellent results have been obtained in Madeira, 

 in a volcanic soil, poor in potash and in phosphoric acid, 

 but rich in nitrogen and better provided with carbonate 

 of lime than the greater part of tropical soils, by the 

 application of a complete manure, testing : 



Nitrogen . . .13 per cent. 

 Potash . . . .20 

 Phosphoric acid . . 16 ,, 



" This manure, which is a mixture of very concentrated 

 and very soluble products, is applied in the proportion of 

 50 grammes per plant, equal to If oz., in a trench 

 made about 18 in. around the stem. The application of 



