178 THE BANANA 



from the ridiculous hypothesis which made the banana 

 figure in the story of Eve and of Paradise. 



" There is an immense number of varieties of the banana 

 in the south of Asia, both on the islands and on the con- 

 tinent ; the cultivation of these varieties dates in India, 

 in China, and in the Archipelago from an epoch impossible 

 to realize ; it even spread formerly into the islands of the 

 Pacific and to the west coast of Africa ; lastly, the varieties 

 bore distinct names in the most separate Asiatic languages, 

 such as Chinese, Sanskrit, and Malay. All this indicates great 

 antiquity of culture, consequently a primitive existence in 

 Asia, and a diffusion contemporary with or even anterior 

 to that of human races." 



There is little doubt that the banana and plantain are 

 natives of India and Southern Asia. The cultivation is 

 general all over India except the extreme north-west, from 

 the sea-level up to 5000 or 6000 ft. 



In Bengal cultivation is carried on chiefly along the 

 banks of rivers ; the plantain is a farm crop, the banana 

 requiring to be cultivated in gardens with good care and 

 attention. The plantains are planted in fields of rice, 

 cocoes (Colocasia antiquorum), or egg plant (Solanum 

 melongend), from 12 to 15 ft. apart. No watering is 

 necessary, as planting is done in the rainy season (June and 

 July). Only two shoots are allowed to grow from each 

 plant. When the rice is harvested, a crop of beans can be 

 grown, but no third crop is allowed when plantains are 

 grown in fields of cocoes or egg plant. When these are 

 off the ground, the field is ploughed two or three times. 

 With care and cultivation, a plantain field may be kept 

 up for more than ten years, but no catch-crops are allowed 

 after the first year. 



Of bananas, the best is known commonly as the " table 

 plantain," and is grown entirely for the use of Europeans 

 and the better class of well-to-do natives ; the fruit is of 

 inferior quality only in the rainy season. The " champa " 

 is the next in quality, but not fit to be eaten till it can be 

 removed from the bunch without effort ; stem and mid* 



