FRUITS AND NUTS 85 



right. The base of the flowering stem is thus curved into a 

 loop which forms a convenient hook by means of which the 

 bunch of bananas may be held after removal from the stem. 

 There are a few varieties of bananas in which the fruiting stem 

 does not turn downward, but remains erect during the whole 

 fruiting period. This is particularly true in the Fehi and 

 Kusaie bananas. 



The flowering or "shooting" of the banana occurs about 7 

 to 9 months from the time of planting. About 2j^ to 4 months 

 are required from the shooting stage to the development of 

 the full-sized bananas ready for shipment. In the case of the 

 Chinese banana the end of the flowering stem carrying the male 

 flowers is cut off after the fruit has set. This operation, how- 

 ever, is not necessary with the Jamaica banana. 



The banana is propagated by suckers which are usually from 

 2 to 8 months of age. The suckers grow from the base of 

 the parent stem and are readily detached by means of a mat- 

 tock or cane knife. Cultivated bananas never bear seeds, with 

 the exception of the Fehi banana and various supposedly wild 

 species of banana. In these so-called wild forms and in the 

 Fehi banana, as well as in the Manila hemp, which is a closely 

 related species, the fruit contains a number of well developed 

 black seed. 



In the West Indies, March is the favorite month for plant- 

 ing bananas. In the case of the Chinese banana, the leaves 

 are left on the sucker, but the leaves are cut off from the sucker 

 of the Jamaica banana before planting. With reference to gen- 

 eral cultural methods for bananas, it may be said that various 

 systems have been adopted. In some localities a dust mulch is 

 maintained. Other growers prefer a leaf mulch or use a sys- 

 tem of green manuring. For the most part not more than 2 

 or 3 suckers are left to grow about the mother plant. These 

 suckers are always of different age and represent the coming 

 generations of banana plants on a given plantation. The 

 banana plant bears but once and is not renewed by growth from 



