l82 THE NURSERY LIST. 



Banana and Plantain {Musa sapientum, M. paradisiaca and 

 others). Scitaminece. 

 Edible bananas rarely produce seeds. The young 

 plants are obtained from suckers, which spring from the 

 main rootstock. These suckers are transplanted when 

 2 or 3 feet high. These plants themselves do not produce 

 so good crops as the suckers which arise from them, and 

 are not transplanted. Two or three suckers are sufficient 

 for a plant at a time ; what others arise should be trans- 

 planted or destroyed. The suckers should be set deep, 

 as low as two feet for best results. In fifteen or eighteen 

 months the plants will bloom, if they have had good care. 

 The stem bears fruit but once, but new stems arise to take 

 its place. See Musa. 



Baneberry. See Actaea. 



Banksia. Proteacea. 



Seeds are very unsatisfactory. Propagated by well- 

 ripened cuttings taken off at a joint, and placed in pots of 

 sand without shortening any of the leaves, except on the 

 part that is planted in the sand, where they should be 

 taken off quite close. The less depth the better, so long 

 as they stand firm. Place them under hand-glasses in a 

 propagating house, but do not plunge them in heat. 



Baptisia. Leguminosiz. 



Increased by seeds, which should be sown in sand and 

 leaf-mold in the open, or in pots placed in a coldframe. 

 By divisions. 



Barbadoes Gooseberry. See Pereskia. 



Barbarea (Winter Cress, American Cress, Upland Cress). 

 Crucifercs . 

 Increased by seeds (chiefly), divisions, suckers and cut- 

 tings. 



Barberry {Berberis vulgaris, etc.). Berberidacea. 



Propagated by stratified seeds, or by suckers, layers and 

 cuttings of mature wood. Layers are usually allowed to 

 remain two years. Rare sorts are sometimes grafted on 

 common stocks. 



Barkeria (species of Epidendrum). Orchidacece . 



Propagated by divisions made just before new growth 

 commences. See under Orchids. 



