12 
I described last year the following varieties of bananas and 
plaintains existing in the Colony and the article was reproduced 
in New Bulletin No. 6 of 1913. 
1 . 
2 . 
•3. 
4 . 
5 . 
6 . 
7. 
8 . 
9. 
10 . 
11 . 
12 . 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
Malgacbe 
St Jacques 
Simeroe 
Gabou 
Rouge 
Monsieur 
Noire 
Blanche 
} 
Congo type. 
—Musa Cavendishii. 
jj- The latter derived from the former. 
^ Growing at high elevations. 
Quatre-vingt or galega 
Duperrel 
Barbare 
Mignonne 
Tahiti 
Figue or gingeli 
Carre 
Graine. 
In November 1914 the gros Michel banana introduced from 
Fiji flowered for the first time and 2 varieties of fig bananas 
imported from Ceylon gave excellent results. These 3 varieties 
should be added to tlie list published in the New Bulletin. 
The political prisoners from Africa and all the population 
in general use the bananas to a great extent as an article of 
food. Small quantities are also exported by the Messageries 
steamers to Aden and Marseilles. About 1000 bunches monthly 
are thus exported. This kind belongs to the Malayan type 
known locally as banane Mille. It is one of the most prolific 
banana grown in the Colony. Clumps 20 years old are found in 
many localities, for they are immune to the beetle disease 
(Sphenophorus striatus) which accounts for their exceptionally 
long period of growth. This species is far from being the best 
known in the Colony, but when gathered long before being ripe 
they will keep a long time without splitting or dropping from 
their stalks in transit. They have a peculiarly sour taste which 
is not disliked by the importers but their keeping qualities are 
the governing factors which account for the large sale of such 
an inferior type of banana. As much as 36 to 50 cents of a 
rupee is offered per bunch on board the homeward bound 
Messageries steamers. 
The Ashanti political prisoners pay as much as 60 cents to 
a rupee and a half per bunch for the plantains of the Congo 
type known locally as Bananes Malgaches and St Jacques. 
These varieties are very susceptible to the beetle disease and 
unless planted in virgin soils must be replanted from suckers 
nearly every year. One of these varieties, viz., the St Jacques 
produces a bunch in a very short time (7 months) and for this 
reason it is planted on a great scale in soils sufficiently adapt¬ 
able to its requirements. 
RUBBER. 
Para rubber may bo classified at present as being a minor 
product of small importance. Only Bs 2360 worth of rubber 
was exported dui ing the year. The tapping of the trees has 
been discontinued on most estates seeing ita fall in the market 
price. Tapping will be resumed if the price goes up to 3 shil¬ 
lings, the present price of 2 shillings leaving no margin of 
profit. The Hevea plantations of this Colony are of healthy 
appearance and the trees free from parasites contrast with the 
other kinds covered with insects. There is hardly any other 
tree so well adapted to the soil and climate of this Colony. 
Had planters as advised by this Department, taken up Para 
Rubber planting in 1902 instead of delaying it until 1907, 1908 
and 1909, they would have less reason to deplore the present 
state of things which tells so heavily on some of them. For¬ 
tunately there is only one small estate in the Colony depending 
on this crop, all the others depending on the coconut and 
vanilla produce at the same time. 
