The Phoenix herald., 1879-06-28
FINE FRUIT. DeIicacies that Should be Raised in Salt River Valley. The Banana and Pine
 Apple. Varieties, Mode of Planting, and General Information.

l
 AS Salt River Valley is adapted tC
 the culture of semi-tropic fruits, w
 place before our readers the follow
 ing suggestions written by gentle
 man well versed in their culture:
 Banana.
 There are many varieties of tn,
 banana. Some are very tender, be
 ing purely tropical, so as not to bt
 able to stand cold, much less frost
 The fine fruit which is brought hert
 and sold at tie fruit stands is tht
 Chinese Dwarf Very few of this kind have fruited in California. Int Dwarf Cavendish IS very similar from long cultivation in green houses has come to endure cold better. The fine favored Dacca also, the fig ban ana is a success in Florida and ever in Georgia. The Helena or Mountain Sprout, of the Sandwich Islands growing in the higher, cooler, re gions, renders more frost, and general | ly fruits in Southern California. But the Florida Mammoth some times called horse banana q do not know for what reasonD having long been acclimated to the frosts of Flor. ida, seems best adopted to this eli mate of any yet found. This was 12 years in Florida before it began to bear. It grows from Il to 15 feet, and almost every stalk bears, fruit from 10 to 120 bananas to the stalk according to culture and climate. In Southern California, 1 have known the thermometer to go as low as 27- several nights during the winter, and ice formed quarter Of an inch thick, and though ali the leaves of the ban anas were cut so as to drOop and be- come as dead, yet as soon the weather would become warm, they would shoot new leaves from the top and grow On till fruit WAS perfect. The banana belongs to to the lily family, branches in he ground, shoots out bulbs every three or four months, which may be taken of and planted to form new stalks. Sometimes five a year.
 Pine Apple.
 This is a delIcious fruit but has not succeeded yet in California in the open ground. If it be treated as house plant, taken in during cold weather, or covered with a glass put over d box, with perhaps a little ma nure around to warm a little it will fruit nicely in about year, or from that to Is months. On the coast of Africa they may be taken from the base of the fruit and grow and ripen inside of six months. Ii any wish to add thls delicious fruit to their garden, I believe in this way they can do so here in Phoenix. It grows only three or four feet high, sends out a stiff stalk from the crown on which grows the apple in the form of pine core. It also branches from the root, and forms there the strongest plant.
 METHOD OF PLANTING.
 Dig up the ground three feet across mix in old rotten straw, or manure, half and half with the dirt, set the bulb in the centre nearly foot deep. Keep pretty well soaked in warm In California one irriga- ton is sufficient. It is much warmer here, that 1 would think once a week would be better, as they would grow fast then, as here the nights are warm. The Florida ban ana. planted row or even by the mid He of July, would attain a height of six feet by cold weather. They right grow some duing the winter if t was mild it would need little culti- | vatlon if planted thus, perhaps stir ng and another dressing of rotten | straw in the spring.
 PROTECTION.
 I raIse them in California as corn planted ten or twelve feet one way to give room tO blow and cultivate md four feet apart the other way, hey protect themselves good deal getting no protection otherwise. But at Phoenix, and Arizona general V, as it would be somewhat of an ex- Ieriment, and people will not likely ,lant many at first, they might De planted in sheltered places, between louses and walls, especially on the outh side, or where it is already ,nown to frost least. This might be to protect them. Or they night be wrapped up to the crown with blankets, they grow up from he ground underneath so much noisture, which is much warmer han the surrounding air, that being trapped, they would suffer nothing I ut to lose their long leaves. The l ender Chinese Dwarf might be GOV red with barrel having the heads ut, and by piling stable manure round the barrel, with moisture, 'ould make heat enough perhaps to , keep them growing in the winter. hey grow but five or six feet to & .uit [
 TIME OF FRUITING. l It takes them about two years to -uit. The best have found is [ veuty-two months, from planting $ ulb clear under the ground, to the t pc fruit on the plant On the west a 1ast of Africa, they fruit in from l inc to twelve months. They might q ossiblv fruit sooner in Arizona, Q here they would grow so fast in the z arm weaiher. This would be deter 1 ined ooly by testing, whio h is well e