CHAPTER XXXII 



HORTICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL NOTES : 

 CULTIVATION OF SPECIES OF MUSA 



SPECIES of Musa are cultivated in cool climates wherever 

 there are large glass hothouses suitable for their growth. 

 The Abyssinian banana (Musa Ensete), and also Musa basjoo, 

 will succeed even in cool houses ; they form noble objects 

 in the Temperate House at Kew. Tropical kinds require 

 great heat all the year through. The Palm House at Kew 

 contains a large collection of esteemed kinds, whence they 

 are distributed from time to time to tropical institutions 

 in the Colonies. Chats worth has the distinction of being 

 the origin of all the " Chinese " bananas now growing in 

 Fiji and Polynesia ; the scientific name of this species 

 (M. Cavendishii) is therefore quite appropriate. Sion 

 House and Panshanger Gardens are also well known for 

 successful cultivation of these interesting plants. 



Mr. W. Watson, Curator of Kew Gardens,* gives the 

 following account of the treatment of bananas at Kew : 

 " A selection of edible -fruited Musas is cultivated in the 

 Palm House at Kew, in addition to the collection of about 

 twenty species represented in the various houses. With 

 scarcely an exception they are ail easy to cultivate ; they 

 like rich soil, a fair allowance of root -room, plenty of 

 sunlight, and liberal supplies of water. The deciduous 

 species, represented by M. superba, are kept quite dry 

 during winter. M. Cavendishii does not fruit as well in 

 the Palm House as it does at Sion House and in other 

 gardens, but all the forms of M. sapientum fruit well at 



* Bull Misc. Inf., R. ftard., Kew, 1894, 280. 

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