42 



withered parts of the flowers. This appears to approach very closely 

 the Martinique or Jamaica banana in size and colour. 



West Indies. 



The varieties cultivated in the West Indies for export purposes 

 are thus described by Dr. Nicholls, F.L.S., in Tropical Agriculture, 

 p. 160. 



" There are a great number of varieties of the banana, as might be 

 expected when it is remembered that the plant is cultivated throughout 

 the whole tropical world — on different soils, in different climates, and 

 under different conditions. The kinds most liked, however, in the 

 American markets are the Martinique variety, with its large yellow 

 fruits, and the Cuban variety which has shorter and thicker fruits with 

 a dull -red skin. The Martinique kind is now the principal one 

 exported, and it is known throughout the United States as the ' Jamaica 

 banana.' In Dominica it is called ' figue la rose,' and in Trinidad 

 1 Gros Michel ' banana." 



Of plantains, as distinct from bananas, there appear to be in the 

 West Indies two principal sorts, the " horse plantain " and the " maiden 

 plantain." The distinction between the two is given below. 



Acosta, quoted by De Candolle {Cult. Plants, p. 309), says that in 

 Hispaniola or San Domingo " there is a small white species of banana, 

 very delicate, which is called in Espagnolle * dominico.' " 



The cooking plantains cultivated in Jamaica are described by Lunan, 

 p. 74, as follows : — 



"There is a variety known by the name of maiden plantain, the 

 common kind being called horse plantain, which differs from it in being 

 of a smaller and more delicate growth, and having red streaks on the 

 stem ; as also in smaller but much more clustered and numerous fruit ; 

 the maiden plantain bunch growing more like that of the banana, 

 containing often from 80 to 100 plantains, and weighing often 80 

 pounds, whereas the bunch of the common plantain seldom contains 

 more than 20. These trees bear fruit fit for use in from 9 to 12 

 months after the suckers are planted, according to soil and seasons ; the 

 horse plantain takes three months to fill from the time it first shoots, 

 and the maiden plantain four ; the latter is the most delicate food." 



Dr. de Verteuil describes the plantains of Trinidad briefly thus : — 



" Like all cultivated plants, the plantain has many varieties : there 

 exist, however, three distinct sorts. The horn plantain, from the 

 resemblance the fruit bears to the horn of a young bull ; the French 

 plantain and the Dominica plantain. The horn plantain is more 

 extensively cultivated than the other sorts, being hardier and not 

 requiring frequent replanting ; but though the fruit is much larger, 

 whence it also obtains the sobriquet of horse plantain, its bunch is not 

 so well supplied, having ordinarily but 25, and often fewer, plantains 

 or fingers to the bunch ; as an edible it is also much coarser than the 

 other species. French or maid plantain : the body of this plant is of 

 a dark violet colour, as also the nerves of the leaves ; the fruit is 

 smaller than that of the former, but the bunch is supplied with a much 

 greater number of plantain-fingers, averaging about 60 and 80, but 

 sometimes from 100 to 130. This species is regarded as more delicate 

 than the others, particularly when ripe. Dominica plantain : this is a 

 variety of the latter ; though the body is exactly like that of the horn 

 plantain, the bunch, however, resembles that of the French, but the 

 fruit is somewhat shorter and plumper." 



