180 THE BANANA 



general. This shoot is styled the " daughter," and when 

 it has borne fruit, the plantation is generally destroyed ; 

 but occasionally a " granddaughter " is allowed to grow. 

 After the plantation is abandoned, the ground is generally 

 used for ground nuts, peppers (chillies), and other similar 

 crops. The best of the cultivated varieties are : " Baja- 

 puri," a long-pointed, three-cornered fruit with thick skin, 

 yellow, and fine-flavoured ; " Sonekale," considered the 

 best, of very superior flavour ; " Raikale," a large fruit 

 with thick red skin, and of delicious flavour ; and " Kuli," 

 similar to the last, but yellow. 



In the North- West Provinces and the Punjab the 

 climate is not so favourable, and the fruit not so good. 



In Assam and Burma both bananas and plantains are 

 commonly cultivated, and are an important factor in the 

 food-supply of the people. 



In Madras, Shortt describes the cultivation as being 

 carried on chiefly in wet lands, but also in village gardens. 

 The land is first ploughed, and the plants are put into holes 

 dug 1 ft. every way at 10 or 12 ft. apart. For irrigation, 

 the whole surface is covered with water for a day, but great 

 care is then taken to drain off all superfluous water. The 

 land is hoed once a month until the bunch shoots, when it 

 ceases until the fruit is cut. Three months after planting, 

 a manure of wild indigo and dung is hoed in, and this is 

 occasionally repeated. The stools last for three years, or 

 even four years in good soil. As a rule seven or eight 

 bunches are harvested from each stool, worth two rupees, 

 together with small additions from sale of the leaves and 

 stems. One rupee per stool will, as a rule, be sufficient to 

 allow for all expenses, including assessment. As there are 

 from 300 to 400 stools per acre, a net profit is realized in 

 about four years of from 300 to 400 rupees. In garden 

 lands the plants are put in at from 6 to 8 ft. apart, plenty 

 of sheep manure applied, and then thoroughly ploughed. 

 Irrigation is given twice a week, and the soil is hoed once a 

 month during the whole three years. Shortt describes 

 thirteen different cultivated forms. The kind popularly 



