The Florida agriculturist., 1884-12-10
Culture of seini-rropical Fruits in
HANANAS.


florida.
iANANAs.
In the following series of articles, we
propose to treat q the culture of those
fruits which, 4Ithough secondary in
prominence and Importance when view
ed in contrast to he orange and lemon,
are none the less interesting and val
liable.
Among the most important of these
ssside issues which demand the atten-
ton of the growerof sub-tropical fruits,
NAV be mentlOneU the banana. Up to
a very recent da<es the culture of this
fine fruit, in FLORIDA, has been sadly neg
lected, and its surerior, qualities almost
entirely overlo0ke9, except by a few en-
terprising fruit-gf5Wer who were far
seeing enough to perceive that these
stately endogens were. fit for something
else beside ornaIlienting fence corners
and back yards; and slowly, but surely,
this once despised fruit is winning great
favor among those who wish to meet ex-
penses while waiting for an orange grove
to come into bearing The demand,
both local and foreign, increasing with
each year, has caused many thousand
plants to be set out, and has proved
an incentive to the selection Of the
choicest varieties.
The predominating variety of banana
cultivated in Florida, is commonly called
the "horse banana The Spanish name
is FL Bobo, and the botanists call it
MUsA paradssiacd 1t is a thrifty luxur-
liant variety, the plant often attaining,
under favorable conlitions, height of
twelve feet or more, exclusive of the
leaves. The fruit is exceptionally large,
although the heads hardly ever contain
more than one hundred bananas. This
banana is OF deep, golden yellow,
when fully ripe, and if allowed to ripen
thoroughly, on the stalk, possesses a
richness of flavor which would be diff
cult to describe. Fruit, in such condi-
ton could not be shipped, nor kept any
length of time. Thus it is, that non-res-
identss of Florida are debarred from the
| enjoyment Of one ~ N;sks 9yea afast l,lonE
les OF Nature. 1t was TINS richness 81
flavor, no doubt, that prompted the great
German scientist, Baron Won Humboldt,
to make the assertion that one acre in
bananas would produce as much nutri-
ment as SO acres in wheat.
Another variety, of great excellence,
is the so-called fig-banna, or MUsA mac
utotd. This species is not by any means
SO extensively cultivated as the Ell Bobo.
The main distinguishing feature of this
variety is the appearance of a number of
black spots or patches on the stalk.
The fruit is much smaller than that Of
the kind mentioned in the preceding
paragraph. The bunches contain more
fruit than those OF the FL Bobo; the fla
vor is more spicy, and the peculiar, nut
ty aroma is plainly perceptible at some
distance around. 1t ripens slower than
some speciesJ but Nature amply indem-
nifies the husbandman for his patient
waiting; day after day he sees the green
fingers" turn to dusky purple, under
the mellowing rays of The autumn sun;
by and by, the alchemy is perfected,
and the soft, d'capsules are ready
to burst with the nectarous juices con-
tanned within. This variety would prob
ably not bear shipping as we'll as some
others, but its well-known delicacy of
flavor will always insure it a profitable
market nearer home. Tha stolons suck
ers) of the fig banana command good
prices in South Florida, and the demand
for them is such as to warrant their cul-
tivation ON an extensive scale. Another
species, the fruit OF which very much re-
sembles that of the MrsA pauseulata, is
the Cavendish banana, or MUsA Cdcen-
dishii.
This species is quite rare, in Florida,
most of the plants having been sent out
by the Agricultural Department at
Washington, and as yet, but little is
known of this remarkable variety. The
stalk, while often measuring II to IA
inches in diameter at the ground, hard
ly eyer reaches a height OF more than
! six feet. The heads, or punches OF the
Cavendish banana often contain an enor-
NOUS amount of fruit; some have been
known to produce as many as 800 bana-
mas on single head. In the countries
to which this king is indigenous, it is
said that the natives often dig holes in
front of the plants to make room for the
descending fruit; the low stature OF the
stalk impeding the progress OF the head,
which. expands. and lengthens as it
ripens. The leaves of the young plant
are covered with dark red patches,
which give them the appearance of hav-
ing been sprinkled with blood. This
peculiar feature disappears as the plant
increases in size. The immense pro-
ductiveness of the Cavendish banana
cause it to be highly priced, and the
plants command an almost fabulous
price.
The s1ady finger,v or Cuban banana
(MusA orientum) is small, delicate,
thin-skinned, and very racy fruit, said to
have come originally from Abyssinia.