506 Different Kinds of Banana 



vourite with banana cultivators. The comparative small ness of 

 the clusters, compared with those of the fruiting varieties, how- 

 ever, is a drawback." 



Several other fruiting varieties recently introduced from the 

 West Indies are expected to fruit early next year. 



Musa s. discolor, M. s. rosacea, M. s. coccinea, and M. s. 

 superba, have also flowered ; but they produced no fruit worthy 

 of notice. 



When bananas are attended to carefully, they may be made 

 to produce their fruit within a twelvemonth from the time the 

 suckers are taken off the parent plants. 



The following are the only places in Scotland where the 

 banana has been cultivated for its fruit: — Dalkeith Park ; Wil- 

 liamfield, the seat of Mrs. Fairlie; the Horticultural Gardens 

 here ; and the Royal Botanic Garden. At Dalkeith and Wii- 

 liamfield the only kind fruited was M. s. Cavendish?/. 



Caledonian Hart. Soc. Garden, 

 InverleitJi, July 7 '. 1842. 



Art. VI. Notes on the different Kinds of Banana cultivated at 

 Leigh Park, the Seat of Sir G. T. Staunton, Bart. By Richaud 

 Carter, Under Gardener there. 



Although we have eight varieties of Musa sapientum L. here, 

 yet we have only fruited three of them, the Banana (M. sapi- 

 entum), M. s. Cavendish//, and M. s. dacca: the last two varieties 

 we have fruited in abundance. 



At present we have the Plantain (M. paradisiaca L.) with a 

 stem measuring nearly 4 ft. in circumference at the base, with 

 leaves from 12 ft. to 14 ft. long. We have also another large- 

 growing variety, which produces a very large cluster of excellent 

 fruit, but we have no name for it. 



The three other varieties are not fruiting sorts, M. s. coccinea, 

 M. s. discolor, and M. s. rosacea, and they are kept as flowering 

 plants. 



M. s. Cavendish// can be fruited in a pine-stove about 8 or 10 

 feet high at the back, but the Dacca variety, if well grown, would 

 require a house 20 ft. in height. 



M. s. dacca is a robust and very handsome-growing variety 

 of the banana; and, when allowed plenty of room in a congenial 

 climate, it will grow 20 ft, high, with a stem measuring 3 ft. in 

 circumference at the base, leaves 10 ft. long and nearly 3 ft. 

 in breadth, and producing a cluster of fruit above 50 lb. 

 weight. The fruit, when in perfection, is of excellent quality, 

 very much larger, and more pointed, than the fruit of M. s. 

 Cavendish//. 





