3 < 
of bananas in Dominica, many of the planters are in 
doubt as to the right kind to plant. The real banana 
is known in the island as the Fig , and of the so-called 
figs, the variety best liked in the United States is 
the Fig La Rose. The fruit of this plant, in Jamai¬ 
ca, is called the Martinique banana, and in the United 
States it has received the name of the Jamaica 
banana, for the simple reason that most of the fruit 
is imported from that island. 
Soil .—The best soil for the cultivation of the 
banana is a warm well-drained, but rather moist, 
deep loam with a good proportion of decayed vege¬ 
table matter. Such a soil, indeed, as is found in 
the many fertile valleys and on some of the newly 
cleared hill-sides of the island. Light sandy soils 
and heavy clays are unsuitable, ■ although by good 
drainage and deep tillage the clay lands of some 
portions of the island may be made to give paying 
crops. " 
Propagation .—The underground stem of the 
banana sends off a number of side shoots or suckers 
which, if left to themselves, will grow up into a 
variety of stems; and, in badly cultivated banana 
fields, it is not unusual to see a clump of a dozen 
or more stems growing from the same root-stock. 
The plant is easily propagated by these suckers, 
which are detached from the stem by means of a 
cutlass or a sharp spade, the earth being first of all 
removed carefully so as to expose the junction of the 
off-shoot with the parent plant. The best size of 
the suckers for planting is about two feet over all, 
smaller ones are too weak and delicate, and larger 
ones do not root so easily. 
Preparation of the Land .—The weeds having 
been hoecl up, and the bushes and the roots of the 
smaller trees stumped out, the land should be well 
ploughed -up with the hoe. On hill-sides and on brok¬ 
en ground the weeds should be buried in trenches; for 
