58 



The leaf is not adapted to a windy situation like the finely-divided 

 leaf of the cocoanut palm. The plant has been developed in sheltered 

 valleys and ravines where no wind occurs to tear the leaf into shreds 

 and prevent in doing its work of assimilating food. 



Strong wind prevents the formation of large bunches and large fruit, 

 and may wreck the plantation when the bunches are nearly ready for 

 cutting. 



Stem. — The apparent stem consists in reality of the bases of the 

 leaves. The true stem or root-stock is underground. It is a storehouse 

 of food-material which goes to form new leaves, suckers, and the fruit. 

 When the flowering shoots are about ready to appear, the leaves be- 

 come much reduced in size, showing that the flowering shoots are ab- 

 sorbing a larger proportion than before of food-material, but probably 

 at this late stage the removal would only affect the size of the indi- 

 vidual fruits. 



Boots. — The rocts are thick and fleshy, keeping pace in length with 

 the height of the plant, sending out small roots with root hairs all 

 along its length. They have not much power of accommodation when 

 meeting rocks, stones, &c, apparently dying back for some little way 

 at the interruption and then branching again. 



Evidently the natural soil is a loam with plenty of humus to retain 

 moisture. If the soil in which bananas are planted is sandy, plenty 

 of pen manure or green dressing should be ploughed in ; if the soil is 

 clayey, plenty of lime should be applied, as well as green dressing, and 

 of course drains are essential. 



The roots may be pruned with the plough at their tips as they keep 

 pace with the height, so developing the branching system. This de- 

 velopment of the branching of the roots is of great importance in 

 giving the plant extended means cf obtaining food. 



Ploughing deep will encourage roots to go down, and so help in 

 anchoring the plant. 



Varieties. — Although the common Jamaica banana is the best that 

 we know at present for general export, there are many varieties culti- 

 vated in the East Indies, which are described as being of superior 

 merit, and would command high prices in England and the States as 

 a special luxury. Some of these sent from Kew and Dominica are 

 now growing at Hope Gardens. 



It may be found possible to cross-fertilise some species, and so pro- 

 duce other varieties than are known at present. 



Hon. T. H. Sharp made the following remarks : — - 



There are no hard and fast rules laid down for the cultivation of the 

 Banana, but every planter should go about the matter by bringing his 

 intelligence to bear on it, and to observe the conditions that exist on 

 his property. I will give you an instance : You must prune often in 

 St. Catherine, but in Clarendon if you prune close you get bad results ; 

 this is within a distance of 20 miles, as the birds fly. At the same 

 time there are certain things which you cannot get over, and we should 

 study them and try to improve : I speak of such things as ploughing. 

 Although the advantages of ploughing are great, still the indiscriminate 

 way of ploughing, constantly disturbing the system of the plant 

 (perhaps just as it is bearing) is wrong. If you were to plough every 



