193 THE BANANA 



or Martinique banana were sent from Jamaica to Kew for 

 transmission to Fiji, and these were soon established there. 

 " The cultivation of bananas," according to the " Hand- 

 book to Fiji" (1908), " is being carried on to a considerable 

 extent in the colony, and promises to assume large pro- 

 portions in the future. Bananas are exported to the 

 Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand. There are 

 two kinds grown for export the Gros Michel or Jamaican 

 banana and the dwarf Chinese banana. Most of the estates 

 are situated near the sea-coast or on the banks of rivers. 

 Transport from plantation to steamer is by water. Fiji 

 possesses enormous areas of land suitable for growing 

 bananas ; and its splendid geographical position and the 

 fact that it is a port of call for steamers bound to Canada 

 make it unlikely that the supply will exceed the demand 

 if all the markets within reach are tapped. The distance 

 from Fiji to Vancouver, as also that to San Francisco, is 

 not greater than that from the West Indies to England, 

 where an immense trade is being successfully carried on 

 in fruit ; and, provided the fruit were available, there is 

 every reason to believe that the shipping facilities would 

 keep pace with any reasonable increase in the amount of 

 fruit grown. The cost of bringing a banana estate into 

 bearing depends on a variety of circumstances. Land 

 which is usually taken up for banana planting is not heavy 

 forest land, but covered with scrub. It is not necessary 

 to stump or plough for the first year or two, the stumps 

 being left to rot in the ground and the banana planted in 

 between. The first crop is obtained in twelve months 

 from the time of planting with the Chinese banana, and in 

 eighteen months with the Gros Michel, and the yield in 

 bunches from good land should be about equal to two- 

 thirds of the number of roots planted. The ratooning 

 crops continue for some years, according to the quality of 

 the land. The average price obtained f.o.b. steamer in 

 Fiji may be said to be Is. Qd. per bunch of eight hands. 

 The smaller bunches are broken up and packed in cases, 

 which are usually worth from 4$. to 6s. per case. It is 



