BAN AX A CULTURE IN HAWAII 19 
REPLANTING 
The number of years in which a banana plantation may be kept 
in production depends upon depth of plowing, physical condition of 
the soil, thoroughness of preparation, and nature of cultivation. 
Growers often find it necessary to remove the old rhizomes and 
other root material from the soil and to prepare the field thoroughly 
again after 4, 5, or 8 years, depending upon conditions. One of the 
most productive local fields of Chinese banana is now (1925) in 
its ninth year of production from setting of suckers. The soil in 
this field was deeply plowed and was in excellent condition when 
thoroughly prepared prior to setting selected suckers and has re- 
ceived theT best of care. Fields in certain parts of Central America 
are said to have continued to produce during 20 years from a single 
planting. 
HARVESTING AND SHIPPING 
The banana, like the avocado and some other fruits, ripens best 
when it is picked green. This fact has greatly helped to develop 
the banana industry of the Tropics as a source of supply of an all- 
the-year-round fruit for the numerous markets of the Temperate 
Zone. The best conditions for proper ripening of the banana rarely 
exists naturally in those parts of the world where the fruit is exten- 
sively grown, or in the still wider range where much of it is con- 
sumed. Usually, the jobber receiving the green fruit has the re- 
sponsibility of ripening it. A careful study of the banana showed 
the ripening process to be governed by highly important factors 
such as regulation of temperature, humidity, and fresh-air supply. 
Only in the carefully regulated ripening room is the high quality 
of the fruit developed. It is a well-known fact that Hawaiian 
bananas which are shipped to the markets of the mainland and prop- 
erly ripened in the ripening rooms are superior to the same kind of 
fruit cut for local market and ripened in the open air of retail stores. 
In regard to range of time of harvesting, the banana is less exact- 
ing than are most fruits. If the fruit is to be shipped long distances, 
it must be cut from the plant earlier than if intended for use nearer 
the plantation. The fruit should be allowed to get plump before 
the bunch is severed from the plant, but not to develop to the stage 
where it will ripen and decay before reaching the consumer. The 
exact stage of maturity suitable for certain occasions can be deter- 
mined only by experience. The terms " full," " too full," and the 
like are commonly used to express stages of maturity. The fruit 
should be given the greatest care during all the work of harvesting 
and shipping to avoid bruising. 
The bunches are cut from the plant with iy 2 to 2 feet of stem left 
above the fruit to serve as a convenience in handling it and to aid in 
keeping it fresh while in transit. Usually three men work together 
to harvest the fruit of the dwarf varieties, the first man holding the 
bunch, the second man severing it, and the third man carrying it to 
the nearest field road. In harvesting the fruit of the higher-growing 
varieties the cutter hacks the trunk slightly above the middle on the 
side toward which the bunch is to fall, taking care that it docs not 
fall against or injure any other plant. The top of the plant with its 
bunch of fruit is gradually lowered to a workman, who hold- the 
