SOUTH AMERICA 225 



VENEZUELA. The banana and plantain are cultivated 

 throughout Venezuela, but fruit is not exported. A North 

 American company has bought land near Lake Maracai'bo 

 for the purpose of growing bananas ; and they might 

 become a very important export. 



The Kew Bulletin gives an account of the principal 

 varieties as described by Diaz : "A plantain called ' platano ' 

 or ' platano arton ' is widely distributed. ' Platano 

 domenico,' the royal or small-fruited plantain, is similar 

 to the common plantain, but the fruit is smaller, and the 

 plant bears cold better. The ' platano topodes ' is like 

 the plantain in the character of the fruit, and like the red 

 banana in its power of resistance to dry weather. The 

 fruit, when ripe, is readily eaten by man and animals. 

 The red banana, ' cambur morado,' differs from the 

 preceding in the colour of the stem and fruit. The fruit 

 of the red banana is specially suitable for preserving by 

 being dried in the sun. The topodes and the red banana 

 are preferred as shade plants on coffee lands on the hills. 

 The Creole banana, 'cambur criollo,' is a smaller plant 

 than either of the two preceding ; the stem is stained with 

 blotches and black streaks ; the fruit is small, but a very 

 palatable dessert fruit in a green state, it is put into the 

 Spanish olla or stew. The apple banana, ' cambur 

 manzano,' has the stem and leaves tinged with red ; the 

 fruit is as small as the Creole banana, it has a very delicate 

 flavour, and is the most highly esteemed of any. The 

 Chinese banana, ' cambur pigmeo,' is also cultivated. 



"In propagating, it is considered important that the 

 suckers should not be removed until the parent stem has 

 perfected its fruit, otherwise the latter will not fully 

 mature. Suckers are put out at distances of 9 or 12 ft. 

 according to the fertility of the ground. During the first 

 year, catch-crops, such as maize, peas, and beans, are sown 

 between the rows. Weeding is done twice a year." 



GUIANA. In British and French Guiana all the best 

 bananas are grown, but they are for local use only, none 

 being exported. It is estimated that the area in British 



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