Arizona citizen., 1877-07-28
Bananas in Arizona.

Dr. F. II. Goodwin talks of turning his farm near Tucson into a fruit farm or at. least most of it. He thinks of trying, among other fruits, to grow the banana, but IS in doubt as to what var iety and the character of culture re- quIred. Perhaps others in Arizona are contemplating the same step with the same doubts as to the kind and cul- ture. For the information of all con cerned, we give extracts from paper recently read before the session of the Southern Horticultural Society in Los Angeles, by the Rev. H. H. Mes senger of Orange, Los Angeles county:
 We have had so little experience in banana culture thst a.correct opinion can hardly be formed concerning It Having myself grown them in trop- ical climate, where all one has to do lS to suck q sucker into the ground, from three to six inches deep, then simply wait ten to twelve months to pull the fruit, l did not know just what they wanted here
 Neither did 1 understand concerning the varieties, and the standardization ot the fruit. Hence 1 began experiment. ing with Panama and Sandwich Island bananas, which grew tlll frost came, then died. With those from the Islands did succeed in raising about twenty spikes of fruit. always left the plants exposed to the weather, for 1 conceived that nothing would pay if it had to be housed part of the year.
 With the Florida banana have now sufficient experience to believe 1t to be ! a handsome success, each plant pro ducing from thirty to seventy bananas | will state the manner of cultivation and what may confidently be expected as to the result. Plant the bulb eight or ten inches deep, eight feet apart i This will give 6Sl plants to the acre | Irrigate and cultivate well. In year ! from planting, the sucker or bulb firsi 1 planted will be, likely, six feet high with three or four suckers from the root. A new plant makes its appear ance from the root every two or three months. During warm weather, soon CT; during the cOldest weather, taking d longer tune; that Is, perhaps nOn( may appear during the three cOldes months But, by the end of two year from planting, fruit may be gathered from the parent stock, and five or sil suckers coming in on the same hill two or three of which should be re moved. About three growing at tlm' is considered best From thls time on
 one bunch of fruit may be confidently expected each year.
 The clusters of fruit will be accord ing to the irrigation and cultivation
 With the best care from 90 to l00 cal be taken from plant; with less car, perhaps from 12 10 30. My firm be lief is that with lrrigating once mOntl for eight months in the year, by tn end ot the second year and every yea thereafter, a bunch worth Sl can b [ taken from each plant or hill of tn land planted, or S6Sl to the acre, an' , in some localities twice this.
 Bulbs are expensive now, as tn ' freight from Florida is so great. Min , cost me S1.30 each. Many dried ou
 or rotted on the long journey, so ther was only a black mass, with perhaps $ crack where the white germ would b 9 seen inside. The whole bulb Is abou ! the size of a good sized onion. Fres
 and vigorous bulbs obtained here vii come on lively. l planted one on tn ; 22d of May, leaving the tip just at th l top of the ground, which Is now thlrt Y inches high. 1 am going to test thl
 one bv the best of care, to see If l ca ret 150 bananas in one bunch from l 2 Such bunch would now sell for $ l IL is plain to be seen that where tn I frost is not severe enough to inJure tn
 fruit. banana raising will be very pro l. itablc. But here is where the dOut II will come into the minds of peopI r living in different localities. To a I living where but little ice is formed,
 can say, there is little fear, as the Flo E ida banana will stand quite heavy frOs r. and still fruit
 l. I think I could pick out 100000 acr' f in Los Angeles county quite we c| adapted to the grOWIn Ol tIllS Ndllct u and nearly every one has some shelte T ed places on the south and west side l. buildings, where they could raise a te ,t plants to great advantage. And eve
 if they had to wrap them up with o e cloths or blankets tor the coldest p y riod, they could thus save them, as tht d draw up a great quantity of war ,r moisture from the ground, which, ci
 culating within, would keep theI ie when wrapped, from freezing. IT h. outer leaves may be all cut off by u IS frost: but when the warm sun such , we have in this county soon after, thu send out new leaves and keep on groI IL ing. They have no seed and are pro
 agated only from the suckers.
 I should here state that thls FlOri' I banana is the only variety which VI
 stand the frosts of this country. Tl
 others grow during the summer; bl r. not having time to fruit during t & warm weather, die down in the wint' ., I think, after ten or twelve years, tI At Chinese Dwarf will become acclimat, D. here. and will then be very valuable.