FRUITS AND NUTS 87 



March to June, and an effort is made in planting bananas to 

 time the crop so that a considerable proportion of the bananas 

 may be marketed during these favorable months. 



According to the experience of most banana growers, not 

 much fertihzer is required for bananas. If lime, humus, drain- 

 age, and good cultivation are supplied, and if a rotation sys- 

 tem is adopted or replanting is done every 5 years, good results 

 may be expected without the use of other fertilizers. Some 

 growers, however, apply about 150 pounds of potash, 75 

 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre 

 per year. An abundant rainfall is necessary for the satisfac- 

 tory growth of bananas, otherwise irrigation is required. The 

 rainfall should be from 60 to 100 inches. The banana will not 

 tolerate brackish water. If the irrigation water or ground 

 water contains even small percentages of salt the banana will 

 never produce a marketable bunch of fruit. 



There is a large but indefinite number of varieties of 

 bananas. Plantain and banana are not definite terms used with 

 the same significance in all countries. All varieties of bananas 

 are called plantains in Ceylon and India. In the West Indies, 

 bananas is the term used for varieties which are eaten raw 

 and plantains for those varieties which are eaten cooked. In 

 Hawaii, the corresponding terms are bananas and cooking 

 bananas. All the varieties of bananas belong to the genus 

 Musa and several species of Musa produce edible fruit. Musa 

 sapientum, in full development, produces a trunk 20 to 25 

 feet high with leaves 4 to 8 feet long. The flower bracts are 

 of violet color and 6 to 12 inches long. The male flowers are 

 deciduous and the fruit is slightly 3-angled and about 3 to 8 

 inches in length. This group of bananas includes the Jamaica, 

 Red Spanish, Apple, Lady Finger, Ice Cream, Brazilian, 

 Hamakua, Largo, and the Hawaiian varieties (Iholena, Mai- 

 maoli, Popoulu, Huamoa, etc.). The subspecies paradisiaca 

 has a long cylindrical fruit and, for the most part, is eaten 

 only after cooking. This subspecies includes the Kusaie ba- 



