312 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  7,  1898. 
twenty  to  twenty-four  months  from  the  time  the  sucker  pushes  through 
the  soil  until  the  fruits  are  perfected  in  this  country. 
And  now  about  my  friend.  In  March,  1897,  he  arrived  in  this  country 
from  Jamaica,  where  for  some  time  he  had  charge  of  considerable  Banana 
plantations,  and  the  following  account  of  his  experience,  which  he  has 
kindly  given  to  me,  1  endeavour  to  convey  in  my  own  words. 
The  suckers  are  planted  16  to  20  feet  apart  each  way  in  the  month  of 
March,  or  just  before  the  rainy  season  commences,  and  are  prepared  in 
the  following  manner  : — The  head  of  each  sucker  is  removed  in  a  slanting 
direction,  making  a  clean  cut,  the  remaining  part  of  the  sucker  being 
1  foot  out  of  the  ground  when  planted.  This  is  done  in  order  to  insure 
plenty  of  roots  before  upward  growth  commences,  otherwise  the  trunk 
would  be  weak  and  spindly,  and  the  bunches  proportionately  small.  This 
preparation  of  the  suckers  is  considered  an  important  thing  in  Banana 
cultivation,  and  is  recommended  to  be  practised  at  all  times. 
Suckers  generally  produce  fruit  fourteen  months  from  the  time  of 
planting  in  their  native  habitat  (that  is,  in  the  tropics).  The  average 
temperature  in  .lamaica  is  80°  Fahr.,  it  seldom  goes  below  60°  at  night, 
while  it  often  attains  120°  by  day  in  the  shade.  The  Banana  produces 
two  crops  each  year,  and  the  season  of  fruiting  is  determined  partially  by 
the  cultivator  in  the  judicious  removal  of  suckers  ;  one  or  two  are  left  to 
take  the  place  of  the  parent  when  fruiting.  The  first,  and  best,  crop  is 
mostly  fit  for  export  in  February,  and  the  second  crop  the  following 
August. 
The  watering  is  done  by  irrigation,  and  the  Chinese  are  the  best 
irrigators.  A  plantation  will  last  from  three  to  twenty  years,  according 
to  the  nature  and  depth  of  soil,  and  by  careful  removal  of  suckers  the 
rows  are  maintained  fairly  discernible.  The  bunches  are  supported 
during  the  growing  season  by  two  stout  bamboo  stakes  placed  crosswise 
under  the  stalk  of  the  bunch.  The  fruit'  extension  stalk  is  not  cut  off 
beyond  the  actual  fruit,  but  is  allowed  to  grow  until  the  fruit  is  gathered, 
the  old  trunk  being  removed  at  the  same  time  to  give  place  to  the 
young  suckers  now  well  advanced  in  growth. 
The  work  of  gathering  begins  as  soon  as  the  fruits  are  fully  grown, 
and  while  they  are  qirite  green.  Coolie  women  do  most  of  the  gathering 
and  carrying.  A  strong  girl  will  carry  a  1-cwt.  bunch  of  Bananas  after 
it  has  been  placed  on  her  head  a  distance  of  200  or  300  yards  from  the 
plantation  to  the  packing  shed  with  ease.  The  bunches  are  wrapped 
carefully  in  a  good  quantity  of  dried  Banana  leaves,  and  as  soon  as  a 
sufficient  number  has  been  prepared  they  are  taken  immediately  to  the 
ship,  and  arrive  in  this  country  in  a  semi-ripe  condition  as  we  see  them 
hanging  in  our  English  shop-windows. 
The  individual  fruits  are  called  “  fingers,”  the  clusters  of  fruit  “hands.” 
Usually  fourteen  fingers  go  to  a  hand,  while  it  takes  nine  hands  to  make 
a  “  bunch,”  A  cluster  consisting  of  less  than  nine  hands  is  not  considered 
good  enough  for  export.  A  “bunch”  of  Bananas  in  Jamaica  costs  from 
Is.  3d.  to  Is.  9d.  The  fruit  is  eaten  by  the  natives  cooked  in  a  green  state, 
and  forms  one  of  their  chief  articles  of  food. — T.  P. 
[We  congratulate  our  correspondent  on  his  clear  and  intelligent 
description  of  the  culture  and  exportation  of  this  nutritious  tropical 
fruit.] 
Raising-  Bedding  Fuchsias. 
The  culture  of  Fuchsias  is  by  no  means  a  difficult  process.  The  old 
plants,  lifted  in  the  autumn  and  potted  if  started  near  the  glass  in  the 
early  spring,  in  a  short  time  produce  a  splendid  lot  of  young  growths. 
Take  these  off  when  they  are  about  3  inches  long,  and  insert  them  in 
either  pots  or  pans,  using  a  mixture  of  light  sandy  soil.  They  root 
quickly  in  a  frame  with  bottom  heat  if  damped  and  shaded  on  bright 
days.  When  rooted  I  find  they  do  best  on  a  shelf  near  the  glass  on  the 
north  side  of  an  intermediate  house.  The  plants  are  soon  afterwards 
carefully  separated,  and  placed  singly  in  small  pots,  using  light  sandy 
soil,  and  when  grown  in  genial  heat  soon  attain  to  a  good  size,  and  are 
prepared  for  planting  out  in  early  summer. — PONICA. 
\)/OKK.Fo^l™WEEK.. 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Protecting  Fruit  Trees  in  Blossom.  —  If  choice  bush  and  cordon 
Apples,  Pears,  Plums,  and  Cherries  can  be  readily  protected  when  in 
bloom  from  the  inclemency  of  sudden  frosts,  winds,  and  rain,  this  should 
be  done.  It  is  possible  to  provide  temporary  arrangements  which  will 
support  tiffany  or  scrim  canvas.  Cordons  growing  against  walls  may 
have  an  arrangement  of  stout  poles  placed  in  the  ground  in  front  of  the 
trees,  the  upper  ends  resting  on  the  coping.  Stretch  and  secure  the 
protecting  material  over  these.  Bush  trees  should  have  poles  placed 
round  them,  meeting  together  above  the  trees,  where  they  may  be 
fastened.  The  material  for  protection  can  thus  be  easily  wound  round 
the  trees,  and  as  readily  removed.  Horizontal  cordons  are  conveniently 
protected  by  having  a  light  wooden  framework  ready  to  place  over,  on 
which  could  be  permanently  tacked  lengths  of  scrim  or  tiOFany. 
Peaches,  Nectarines,  and  Apricots  ought  still  to  be  protected  on  cold, 
frosty,  or  stormy  nights,  continuing  until  the  young  fruits  are  a  fair  size, 
and  receive  the  protection  of  the  leaves. 
Strawberries. — Planting. — There  is  still  time  to  plant  any  varieties 
which  have  been  wintered  in  nursery  beds  or  bought  in  late.  It  is  not 
desirable,  however,  to  allow  such  late-planted  beds  to  produce  fruit,  but 
rather  encourage  free  growth  throughout  the  season,  nipping  off  all 
flower  trusses  when  they  appear.  If  plants  can  be  lifted  and  placed  in 
position  with  plenty  of  soil  attached  to  their  roots,  such  plants,  especially 
if  strong,  might  bear  a  small  amount  of  fruit  the  first  season.  Weakly 
plants  would  be  exhausted  by  this  treatment.  Allow  all,  however,  to 
give  indications  of  flowering,  as  by  this  means  their  fruitful  character  is 
proved.  Those  which  do  not  flower  the  first  season  seldom  do  so  after¬ 
wards,  remaining  barren,  fruitless,  and  useless.  Plant  firmly  and  mulch 
down  each  side  of  rows  with  littery  manure. 
Feeding. — Established  beds  of  Strawberries  need  a  little  special 
assistance  to  stimulate  growth.  Soot  dusted  among  the  plants  helps  to 
destroy  slugs,  and  as  it  becomes  washed  to  the  roots  affords  nutriment 
which  they  can  appropriate.  A  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda,  2  lbs.  to  the 
rod,  given  when  the  weather  is  fairly  dry,  is  soon  absorbed  by  the  soil, 
and  directly  used  by  the  plants.  As  it  specially  stimulates  growth, 
nitrate  of  soda  ought  not  to  be  employed  for  young  plants,  which  can  be 
sufficiently  well  nourished  by  properly  prepared  soil,  and  usually  grow 
strongly  enough  owing  to  bearing  little  or  no  fruit.  Those  which  are 
benefited  most  are  plants  likely  to  produce  heavy  crops.  Liquid  manure 
may  also  be  given. 
Mulching. — The  advantages  accruing  from  a  mulching  of  farmyard 
manure  at  th§  present  time  will  be  apparent  in  two  ways.  First,  the 
soluble  parts  of  the  manure  will  be  washed  into  the  soil,  assisting  the 
plants  to  a  considerable  extent  when  the  crop  most  requires  extra  support ; 
second,  the  insoluble  or  strawy  portions  of  the  dressing,  being  washed  and 
dried  clean  by  the  exposure,  afford  subsequently  a  clean  bed  for  the  fruit 
to  rest  upon  when  ripening.  In  order  to  secure  these  advantages  the 
manure  employed  should  consist  mainly  of  that  from  horse  stables,  composed 
of  equal  parts  of  short  manure  and  nearly  fresh  long  litter,  placing  the 
mulching  between  the  rows  during  this  month. 
Raspberries. — Remains  of  the  mulching  placed  between  the  rows  in 
autumn  ought  to  be  raked  off  the  ground  now.  Lightly  point  up  the 
surface  with  a  fork,  but  not  deeply,  owing  to  the  mass  of  fibres  which 
ramify  near  the  surface.  Deep  or  careless  digging  with  a  spade  would 
sever  and  destroy  these.  The  effect  of  mulching  regularly  is  to  bring  the 
feeding  fibres  close  to  the  surface,  and  frequently  the  soil  is  so  permeated 
with  them  as  to  render  even  pointing  with  a  fork  difficult  to  carry  out 
without  spoiling  some  rootlets.  In  such  cases  loosening  the  soil  is 
unnecessary  previous  to  applying  a  dressing  of  rich  manure  around 
and  between  the  stools. 
Newly  Planted  Fruit  Trees. — All  trees  which  have  been  planted  in 
the  course  of  the  previous  month  require  attention  in  staking  and  tying 
to  prevent  them  being  moved  about  bj'  the  wind.  They  should  be  secured 
well  but  not  too  tightly,  either  with  tarred  string  or  copper  wire,  but 
some  strong  pliable  material  ought  first  to  be  wrapped  round  the  stems  to 
prevent  abrasion  of  the  bark. 
A  mulching  of  light,  not  rich  and  heavy,  material  will  be  required 
on  the  approach  of  hot  weather  to  conserve  the  moisture  in  the  soil. 
Mulching  is  not,  as  in  the  case  of  old-established  trees,  for  the  purpose 
of  feeding  or  supplying  additional  nourishment,  but  merely  to  regulate 
the  temperature  and  moisture.  In  some  soils,  either  now  or  shortly, 
water  may  be  necessary  to  stimulate  root  action.  A  proper  mulch 
applied  to  moist  soil  prevents  the  rooting  medium  drying  too  quickly ; 
hence  watering  will  be  deferred  until  there  is  less  danger  of  lowering 
the  soil  temperature. 
Another  matter  of  importance  is  pruning.  There  are  few  trees  newly 
planted  which  do  not  require  some  amount  of  shortening.  Shapely,  well- 
formed  trees,  furnished  when  planting  with  abundance  of  roots,  may  only 
require  the  leading  shoots  cut  back  to  well-placed  wood  growths.  Others, 
with  few  roots  and  not  having  the  required  number  of  branches,  must  be 
more  closely  pruned,  always  to  wood  growths,  pointing  in  the  direction 
the  branches  are  required  to  extend. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Figs. — Early  Forced  Trees  in  Pots. — Increase  the  ventilation  when  the 
fruit  shows  signs  of  ripening,  and  expose  to  the  sun  as  much  as  possible. 
The  drier  atmosphere  encourages  the  Fig  trees’  worst  enemy — red  spider, 
and  also  brown  scale  ;  therefore,  no  eflbrt  should  be  spared  to  have  the 
foliage  clean  up  to  ripening  time.  Supplies  of  water  are  needed  through  all 
stages  at  the  roots,  yet  less  when  the  fruit  is  ripening  than  during  its 
swelling.  Increase  the  ventilation  at  70°,  affording  air  constantly  during 
the  period  of  ripening.  Day  temperature  80°  to  85°  from  sun  heat,  and 
night  temperature  60°  to  65°. 
Succession  Houses. — Trees  in  inside  borders  will  need  abundant  supplies 
of  water,  and  those  in  narrow  borders  and  carrying  heavy  crops  of  fruit 
require  liquid  manure,  with  rich  surface  dressings.  Attend  frequently  to 
tying  in,  thinning,  and  stopping  the  shoots  at  about  the  fifth  leaf  of  such 
as  are  required  to  form  spurs,  and  avoid  overcrowding  the  growths.  Main¬ 
tain  a  night  temperature  after  the  leaves  have  become  full  sized  of  60°  to 
65°,  and  70°  by  day,  allowing  a  rise  to  80°  or  85°  from  sun  heat,  venti¬ 
lating  from  70°,  closing  at  80°,  so  as  to  rise  to  85°  or  90°  afterwards. 
Late  Houses. — Syringe  the  trees  on  fine  days  sufficiently  early  to  allow 
of  their  becoming  dry  before  night.  Ventilate  freely  in  the  early  part  of 
the  day,  strive  to  secure  solidified  growths,  and  close  early  in  the  afternoon 
