S96 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  7,  1898. 
by  the  family,  that  continual  effort  was  at  last  rewarded  by  being 
able  to  supply  a  crop  of  Bananas  annually,  from  a  rather  cramped 
space,  with  as  much  certainty  as  a  crop  of  Grapes, 
Under  normal  conditions  of  home  culture  for  fruit,  young  plants 
——suckers  which  are  planted  in  the  spring  do  not  show  fruit  until 
the  summer  of  the  following  year,  when  they  have  attained  a  height 
of  from  7  to  10  feet.  These  fully  developed  plants  often  produce 
individual  clusters  of  90  lbs.  in  weight.  The  head  room  thus 
monopolised  excludes  their  culture  from  many  gardens  where  con¬ 
ditions  exist  similar  to  those  it  is  proposed  to  detail.  This  amounts 
practically  to  biennial  v.  annual  fruiting  with  a  corresponding  limita¬ 
tion  of  growth ;  and,  it  must  be  added,  Aveight  of  fruit,  for  our  average 
weight  of  the  fruit  clusters  may  be  given  as  about  40  lbs.  The  house» 
Avhich  had  originally  been  built  as  a  Pine  stove,  and  ran  east  and  west, 
was  divided  by  a  walk  under  the  apex  of  the  roof  into  two  hotbeds, 
one  of  which,  on  the  southern  side,  was  still  retained  for  Pines,  the 
othei  being  partly  devoted  to  the  Bananas.  Bottom  heat  was  afforded 
by  six  rows  of  pipes  in  each  bed,  and  on  these  thin  flags  were  laid, 
forming  a  hot-air  chamber.  From  this  foundation,  and  as  close  as 
possible  to  the  walls  next  the  walk,  the  vertical  measurement  to  the 
roof  gave  about  7  feet  of  head  room.  Starting  with  the  empty  bed, 
a  thin  layer  of  sods  was  placed  grass  downwards  upon  the  flagged 
bottom,  and  upon  this  ten  plants  of  Bananas  were  spaced  out  4  feet 
apart,  parallel  with  and  close  to  the  wall  nearest  the  walk,  the  planting 
taking  place  In  March.  Equal  parts  of  roughly  chopped  turt  and 
decayed  manure  were  then  dressed  over  the  roots  about  18  inches  deep 
to  complete  the  planting;  a  high  temperature  was  maintained  and 
no  shading  permitted  from  start  to  finish,  save  such  as  was  given 
by  a  slielf  suspended  from  the  apex  of  the  roof,  which  broke  to  some 
extent  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  at  midday. 
Every  inducement  was  now  given  to  active  growth  by  copious 
waterings  with  warmed  water,  and  daily  syringings  when  the  house 
was  closed,  the  temperature  being  allowed  to  run  up  on  bright  days 
to  100  h  ahr.,  whilst  the  normal  day  temperature  was  seldom  lower 
than  m°,  and  ranged  from  70°  to  75°  at  night.  Towards  the  middle  of 
June  the  plants  had  developed  stout  stems  about  4  feet  high,  the 
foliage  being  here  and  there  in  contact  with  the  glass.  The  conditions 
of  excitement  were  now  subdued  by  keeping  the  plants  lairly  dry  at 
the  roots,  admitting  more  air-submitting  them,  in  fact,  to  a  kind  of 
baldening  process.  From  that  time  plants  were  daily  watched 
with  some  anxiety  for  signs  of  fruit  conception,  for  it  is  of  vital 
importance  that  the  short  resting  jJeriod  conducive  to  it  should  on  its 
occurring  be  at  once  changed  to  the  stimulating  conditions  of  active 
growth.  If  all  went  well,  in  about  three  weeks  from  the  check  being 
given  a  slight  swelling  of  the  stem  some  6  inches  below  the  base  of 
the  leaves  would  be  noticed,  and  almost  contemporaneous  with  it  the 
last  leaf  was  made,  which  there  is  no  mistaking  owing  to  its  puny 
size.  As  soon  as  this  was  noticed  in  the  majority  of  the  plants 
tropical  treatment,  as  previously  detailed,  was  at  once  resumed,  and 
expectation  was  soon  gratified  by  the  appearance  of  the  great  purple- 
bracted  inflorescence,  the  end  of  which  was  cut  off  as  soon  as  the 
successively  developing  whorls  of  “fingers”  showed  by  a  diminution 
in  length  that  nothing  could  be  gained  by  its  retention.  Under  the 
active  conditions  of  growth,  still  maintained,  the  “fingers”  had 
generally  by  August  swelled  to  their  full  size.  From  thence  the 
ripening  was  a  question  of  the  family’s  requirements  as  to  retarding 
or  vice  versa.  In  an  emergency  some  of  the  “  fingers  ”  have  been 
cut  gieen  and  laid  up  on  the  shelf  previously  mentioned  in  the  sun; 
but  this  was  always  regarded  as  a  sacrifice,  for,  as  stated,  they  were 
similar  to  imported  samples. 
Eaturally  ripened  “fingers”  are  of  a  rich,  clear,  golden  hue,  being 
at  the  final  stage  bletted  with  minute  brown  spots,  when  they  part 
freely  from  the  stem,  although  it  is  preferable  to  cut  them  carefully. 
At  this  time  it  may  be  necessary  to  examine  the  clusters  morning  and 
evening  to  remove  those  which  are  ready  and  prevent  their  falling. 
Ihe  delicate  perfume  of  the  ripening  fruit  will  attract  all  ants  in  the 
vicinity  to  the  feast,  but  a  band  of  tarred  sacking  round  the  stems  of 
the  plants,  and  the  bending  down  of  any  leaves  in  contact  with  the 
roof,  will  obviate  this.  Suckers  which  spring  from  the  plants  early  in 
the  season  must  be  repeatedly  cut  back  to  the  soil  surface  until  the 
ruit  has  swelled.  One  from  each  plant,  in  some  cases  two,  may  then 
be  allowed  to  grow  freely,  and  on  the  removal  of  the  fruit  the  parent 
plant  can  then  be  entirely  removed  by  twisting  it  out. 
A  few  notes  in  conclusion  may  be  of  service.  The  most  important 
thing  in  this  method  of  growing  Bananas  is  the  resting  period,  which 
must  also  be  regarded  as  the  most  critical  stage  of  the  whole  operation. 
One  year,  owing  to  this  check  being  unduly  prolonged,  the  embryo 
inflorescence  refused  to  emerge,  swelling  the  stems  to  an  abnormal 
size,  and  resulting  in  total  failure.  Another  point  to  notice  is  that 
although  our  crop  was  an  annual  one,  the  last  year’s  suckers  at 
planting  time  were  really  half  developed  plants.  Under  the  conditions 
as  described  our  gatherings  of  naturally  ripened  fruit  extended 
generally  over  three  months,  and  on  an  average  seven  plants  out  of 
the  ten  produced  good  clusters.  The  last  year  I  thus  grew  them  gave 
the  best  results,  experience  having  taught  us  many  things  I  have 
endeavoured  to  show  in  this  paper.  In  that  particular  year  the  whole 
of  our  ten  plants  produced  fine  clusters,  the  aggregate  weight  of  which 
was  certainly  not  less  than  400  lbs.,  and  probably  exceeded  that  figure, 
and  I  always  look  back  with  pleasure  upon  our  endeavour  to  grow  the 
Chinese  Banana  under  difficulties,  and  the  success  which  was  eventually 
obtained. — Musa. 
FLOWERS  AT  THE  END  OF  MARCH. 
Amazonian  March  has  passed  to  her  rest  for  the  year,  and  the 
flowers  of  spring  come  with  ever-increasing  beauty.  Their  lot  is  not 
a  happy  one  when  bitter  winds  prevail.  As  this  is  written  a  fiercer 
gale  than  usual  is  afoot,  and  the  Daffodils  strain  at  their  stems  as  if 
they  would  fain  flee  away  to  calmer  lands.  Few  of  us  care  for  the 
month.  Very  beautiful  are  these  Daffodils,  and  pitiful  as  it  is  to  see 
them  dashing  out  their  beauty  in  the  wrath  of  the  gale,  we  look  upon 
them  with  delight.  The  soft  beauty  of  Narcissus  pallidus  prsecox 
Blond  d’Or,  the  deep  gold  of  Santa  Maria,  the  great  blooms  of  tela- 
monius  plenus  fill  us  with  joy,  added  to  by  the  charms  of  the  others 
now  in  bloom.  Common  as  is  the  last-named,  it  is  unsurpassed  in  its 
way,  and  for  the  garden  and  the  house  cannot  well  be  spared. 
Sturdy  and  tall,  of  excellent  form,  and  of  lovely  colour,  is  Henry 
Irving.  The  “  prince  among  actors,”  as  the  celebrated  player  is  often 
called,  has  no  unworthy  Daffodil  to  bear  his  name.  It  is  also  one  of 
the  best  of  the  varieties  of  the  type  known  as  spurius,  and  worthy  ot 
growing  in  large  clumps  in  many  gardens,  in  which  it  is  yet  unknown. 
Another  fine  Trumpet  Daffodil  is  Mrs.  H.  J.  Elwes,  of  different  form, 
deeper  colouring,  and  coming  a  little  later  into  bloom.  N.  Santa  Maria, 
which  has  been  a  little  difficult  to  establish  in  my  garden,  seems  at 
length  to  have  made  itself  at  home,  and  is  very  effective  with  its 
deep-coloured  flowers,  having  the  trumpets  and  perianth  segments  of 
uniform  colouring.  It  is  said  to  be  “orange-coloured,”  which  is 
perhaps  a  slight  play  of  fancy,  but  it  is  in  truth  the  deepest  yellow  of 
all.  Quaint  looks  the  little  double  Rip  Van  Winkle,  which,  as  is  its 
wont,  has  awoke  from  its  sleep  to  show  its  sharp  petalled  flowers. 
Others  there  are,  with  more  to  come,  and  April  will  be  bright  with 
the  gold  and  silver  blooms. 
Too  short-lived,  but  delightful  while  they  last,  are  the  Dog’s 
Tooth  Violets,  with  their  Cyclamen-like  blooms  and  spotted  or 
marbled  leaves.  We  have  many  newly  introduced  species,  yet  none 
is  more  beautiful  than  the  finer  varieties  of  the  old  Erythronium 
dens-canis,  which  for  long  years  has  been  grown  in  our  British 
gardens.  Such  varieties  as  blanca  (white).  Von  Humboldt  (violet), 
or  rubens  (red),  will  be  found  to  give  much  pleasure  when  their 
annual  blooming  time  comes  round.  Gardens  vary  in  their  nature, 
but  in  some,  such  as  this,  planting  in  shade  is  found  to  be  detrimental 
to  free-flowering,  and  nowhere  have  these  Dog’s  Tooth  Violets  looked 
prettier  than  by  the  edge  of  a  gravel  walk  or  in  the  grass  in  full  sun. 
Some  experiments,  continued  for  a  few  years,  have  shown  that  this 
applies  to  such  Dog’s  Tooth  Violets  as  Hendersoni,  sibiricum,  grandi- 
florum,  Hartwegi,  citrinum,  and  others,  and  the  clumps  which  have 
been  grown  in  shade  and  moisture  must  be  removed  at  the  earliest 
opportunity.  The  puzzling  E.  americanum  is  best  grown  in  an 
enclosed  divisiqn  of  the  rock  garden,  in  stiff  soil,  and  so  planted  that 
it  cannot  find  Its  way,  by  means  of  its  young  tubers,  deep  into  the 
ground. 
Pretty,  also,  are  the  Puschkinias,  which,  after  some  trouble,  seem 
as  if  they  had  now  found  a  suitable  place  in  which  to  grow.  Their 
