67 



.leaves then become thick and leathery, and the minute hairs lose their 

 glistening appearance, and in some cases the edges turn down. 



If the plant was topped properly, it will be ready to cut when the 

 lower middle of the top leaf is ripe; this being the last spot on the 

 whole plant to ripen. It will thus be seen that it is possible to judge 

 to a day when the plant is fit to cut. 



Ratjons — It is a saying among the Cubans that the price obtained 

 for the "principals" covers the cost of the cultivation and curing of 

 the whole crop ; the " rations" representing net profit. The former 

 are sold as Capa (wrapper) but are used for " capoti" (binder) in the 

 best cigars, for which Sumatra wrappers are used, and as wrappers 

 for cheap cigars ; the ratoons are used for " tripa" (filler). 



By good management it is, however, possible to obtain excellent 

 capa leaves from the first ratoons ; more especially when the principal 

 ripens up quickly and is cut in time to allow the ratoon leaves to 

 develop in the full light. The ratoons require the same attention as 

 the principals with regard to weeding, mo aiding, topping and sucker- 

 ing, again leaving two or one ratoon, according to the strength of the 

 plant, to take the place of the ripe ratoons when cut. 



The cutting may go on in this way until the leaves produeed are so 

 small as not to be worth the expense of cutting and hanging. 



VARIETIES OF BANANA. 



On several occasions during the last 10 or 1 2 years we have received 

 varieties of bananas from the famous collection of economic plants at 

 Kew Gardens, got together with s » much trouble, and expense by the 

 former Directors, Sir W. J. Hooker, and Sir J. D. Hooker, and by the 

 present Director, Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer. 



In 1898 several different kinds of bananas were sent from Kew 

 by Sir W. Dyer to tie Botanic Garden in Dominica, which, in the 

 wonderful climate of that beautiful island, and under th j skilful 

 treatment of the Curator, Mr. J. Jones, is said to be one of the 

 prettiest gardens in the West Indies. In the following year Dr. 

 Morris, Commissioner of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 very kindly seut to this Department suckers of 17 varieties from the 

 . collection in Dominica, and 12 of these have survived. 



A note on bananas by Mr. Watson, Curator of Kew Gardens, was 

 inserted from the * Gardeners' Chronicle in the Bulletin for March, 

 1901, and notes by a correspondent appeared in the Bulletin for 

 December, 1901. Mr. Watson thinks that if the banana of the shops 

 [Canary Island Banana] is worth a penny, then 'Ram Kela* is worth a 

 shilling." Our correspondent on the contrary classes the ' Ram KeW 

 with the 'Red Banana' as being an inferior fruit with a soajy taste 

 and a disagreable smell It is probable that the fruit varies some- 

 what on different plants, and we shall have to watch the plants care- 

 fully and select the best of its kind for propagation by suckers. 



The "guindy" from Madras is spoken highly of by our correspondent, 

 though he does not, consider it as good as the Jamaican Banana. We 

 are told by one who lived some years in Ceylon that the variety known 

 there as " Suaandell" is even superior to the Jamaican. The banana, 



