The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-05-27
Raising Bananas III Florida.

The most perfect banana plantatlOn IN the
United States is that of COL Whitner, near
Silver lake, over two hundred miles south from
Jacksonvile J and practically beyond the region
of killing forests. A daily line of steamers
renders it easy of access from Jacksonville and
other points upon the river. This plantation
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 six to eight inches in dame
ter, while others, and probably the largest num-
ber, are of the celebrated dwarf species, stand
ing from six to eight 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
cuttings which bear transplanting we'll, and
grow with great rapidity. These slips are
generally planted about eight feet apart II 1t
is the dwarf species, an acre of ground Will
contain from 600 to 700 plants. They require
deep, rich soil, and considerable moisture
1t has no season, but the fruit natures gener-
ally in from eleven to thirteen months from
date of planting, and by properly timeing the
planting, ripe fruit may be obtained at all sea-
sons 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 a smooth trunk, which grows to the
size of large apple tree, composed entirely OF
these concentric leaf stems or petals. In about
eight or nine months, according to the warmth
of the season, deep purple bud peeps outJust
at the point of divergence of the upper leaves,
and soon pushes itself into full view, It's
lengthening stem bending under the weight OF
a purple blossom, shaped like pointed egg.
Soon.a leaf of this blossom opens at the point
ed end and rolls back to the base, disclosing a
row of five or six tiny bananas, nestled close
together, as if hiding under the shelter OF this
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
lengtheus to maturity, which requires generally
about three or four months. The great stem
on which the fruit grows bends under its
weight until the long-6nger-like 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 ofshoots which take the
the place of the old plant when that has been
removed, ana go Oh growing W 'uo iuiA oi1o Va
Tie fruit when grown full size, begins to
show streaks of yellow upon its deep green
skin, when it should be gathered for shipment
to market, as it is easily and quickly ripened
after cutting by wrapping the bunch IN straw
or in q blanket, and keeping it in warm
place. By cutting The bunches at the right
time they can be shipped to New York with
perfect safety.
Col Whitner has upon his plantation to-day
thousands of punches, in all stages of develop
ment. from the little miniature buds to the we'll
matured fruit six or seven inches long. Many
of those punches contain 125 bananas which
sell readily to shippers at two cents each, from
which may be inferred the great profits of ba-
mana culture. ~,
An acre of ground will readily support 600
plants Suppose the lunches to average IS
bananas each, and we have an annual income
of 5000 from single acre. The cost of pre-
pairing and enriching the ground and setting
the plants the first year, including the cost OF
the slips, will average, say, 81 per plant leav-
ing profit of $500; but they perpetuate
themselves after the first year, and require but
little expenditure. Besides, the shoots that
spring up from the dubious root stock will sup
ply 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 net for the second
and succeeding years.
Humboldt states that an amount OF land that
will produce 1000 pounds of potatoes will yield
A. 900 pounds of bananas and surface bear,
ing wheat enough to feed one man will yield
bananas enough to feed twenty-five men.-At-
lGnta Herald.