Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-06-30
RAISING BANANAS IN FLOR
IDA.

RAISING BANANAS IN FLOR.
IDA.
INTERESTING FACTS CONCERNING THIS
LUSCIOUS FRuIT--pRorITs OF THE
CROP.
The most perfect banana plantation
in the United States is that of Col.
Whitner, near Silver Lake, over two
hundred miles south from Jacksonville,
Florida, and practically beyond the
region of killing frosts. This planta-
tion covers an area of several acres,
and contains over ten thousand plants,
most of them in bearing. The plants
are Of different varieties. Some of
them are huge trees, twenty feet high,
with trunk from four to five inches
in diameter. The banana, as cultivated
in this climate, bears no visible seed
but it is propagated from slips or cut
tings which bear transplanting well,
and grow with great rapidity. These
clips aio generally planted about eight
feet apart T; If ii is the dwarf species
an acre of ground will contain from six
hundred to seven hundred plants.
They require deep, rich soil, and
considerable moisture 1t has no
season, but the fruit natures generally
in from eleven TO thirteen months
from date of planting, and by properly
timing the planting ripe fruit may be
obtained at all seasons of the year.
The cuttings once planted, first develop
two leaves tightly rolled together,
which grow to height of three or four
feet, when the blades begin to unfold
one after another, into great broad
leaves, the stems forming smooth
trunk, which grows to the size of
large apple tree, composed entirely OF
these eccentric leaf stems or petals In
about eight or nine months, according
to the warmth of the season, deep
purple bud peeps out just at the point
of divergence of the upper leaves, and
soon pushes itself into full view, its
lengthening stem bending under the
weight Of purple blossom, shaped
like pointed egg.
Soon a leaf of this blossom opens at
the pointed end, and rolls back TO the
base, disclosing row of five or six
tiny bananas, nestled close together, as
if hiding under the shelter of this pro-
tecting leaf Each miniature fruit has
a waxen yellow flower at the end, with
stigma projecting through it. Other
leaves of the blossom unfold one after
another, in the same way, until twenty
or thirty clusters of fruit are developed,
all clinging to one stem, when these
leaves wither and fall, and the fruit
swells and lengthens TO maturity, which
requires generally about three or four
months. The great stem on which the
fruit grows bends under its weight un-
til the long finger-likc fruit hangs
down in graceful clusters.
Each plant bears but single bunch
of fruit, and then withers and dies, but
while the fruit is maturing there
springs up from the base OF the trunk
several oif-shoots, which take the place
Of the old plant when that has been
removed, and go on growing to the
full size of the parent tree.
The fruit, when grown full size, be-
gins to show streaks of yellow upon
10 ds~p gaoon shi.., -Le. "a should be
gathered for shipment to market, as it
is easily and quickly ripened after cut
ting by wrapping the bunch in straw
or in a blanket, and keeping it in a
warm place. By cutting the lunches
at the right time they can be shipped
to New York with safety.
Col. Whitncr has upon his plantation
today thousands of lunches, in all
stages of development, from the little
miniature buds to the well-matured
fruit six or seven inches long. Many
of these bunches contain one hundred
and twenty-five bananas, which sell
readily to shippers at two cents each,
from which may be inferred the great
profit Of banana culture.
An acre of ground will readily sup
port six hundred plants. Suppose the
lunches to average seventy-five ba-
nanas each, and we have an annual in
come of 5000 from single acre. The
cost Of preparing and enriching the
ground and setting the plants the first
year, including the cost Of the slips,
will average, say, 81 per plant, leaving
a profit Of $500; but they pcrpetuate
themselves after the first year, and re-
quire but little expenditure. Besides,
the shoots that spring up from the
bulbous root stock will supply plants
enough to double the ground each
year; or they may be sold for more
than enough to pay for all expenses
after the first year, thus leaving the
5000 for the second and subsequent
years.
Humboldt states that an amount OF
land that will produce 1000 pounds of
potatoes will yield 1900 pounds of
bananas, and surface bearing wheat
enough to feed one man will yield
bananas enough to feed twenty-five
mon.