i64 TROPICAL AGRTCULTURE chap. 



place, or better still in the intervening space between the 

 former stools, the fertility of the soil being restored by a free 

 application of manure. When the land is intended to be 

 kept in permanent banana cultivation, a good plan — after 

 lining out — is to plant each alternate hole one season, and to 

 plant the vacant spaces another season. In this way the 

 stools will not become exhausted at the same time, and by a 

 judicious application of the system continuous crops may be 

 expected. The chief drawback to this plan is that the land 

 at first carries only one-half the usual number of plants, 

 while the cost of weeding and cultivating is much the 

 same. 



When the CROPS. — With proper cultivation, a good soil, and a suit- 



gathere"d. able climatc, the first crop may be gathered in about a year 

 from the time of planting ; and, as some plants may be back- 

 ward whilst others are forward in growth, bunches will be 

 gathered at all times thereafter. The bunch must be cut 

 Cutting the ^ith a portion of the stem for the convenience of the hand- 

 fruit'^'^^^ °^ ^^'^^' ^^^ ^^^ terminal flower-buds should be removed at the 

 same time. The trunk must then be cut down to within a 

 few feet of the ground, and if it be chopped into short lengths, 

 and arranged around the remaining trunks, it will rot and 

 The fruit not help to manure the soil. The fruit should be cut about a 



to ripen on 



the plant. weck or ten days before it is ripe ; and, from the time it 

 leaves the stem until it is placed in the market, it must be 

 handling handled with the greatest care and gentleness, otherwise its 

 essential. value will be much lessened. An immense quantity of fruit, 

 worth a very large sum of money, is lost every year by care- 

 Bruised less and rough handling — a bruise that may not be apparent 

 at the tiijie, will soon cause decay of the delicate structure 

 of the fruit, and this decay, once set up, is liable to spread to 

 other fruit in the vicinity. In fruit culture one of the first 

 things to learn is care in the handling of the produce, and 

 the planter will have to be constantly on the alert to see that 

 his labourers exercise this necessary care. 



