Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-11-24
BANANA GROWING.
The Nataveof Gentra6 AneericA De-
ponds on It for HIS Living.
But He Has to Work But . Fort
night to Secure FoodS fOr, .
Whole Year-HOw the Fruit
In Grown.

The headquarters of the banana trade
ly the capital of the Mosquito reserva-
ton, whence about 100000 punches
are, or were, annually exported to the
United States. -.r -..
But for the banana and the plantain
the natives of Central America would
have to live by the sweat of their brows;
possessing the banana and plantain,
they may toll or not, as they please.
There is no necessity. A fortnight's
intermittent labor will supply man
and his family with food for a year.
During the II months and two weeks re-
naming they may swing in their ham
mocks if they think fit. Their dinner
will always be within arms reach, so to
say. One of the motions" of that much
misunderstood and unfortunate reform
err, Col. Walker, the "filibuster," was to
destroy every banana and plantain tree
in Nicaragua. It would have been q
task for Hercules. Whether he was in
sober earnest, or merry expressing a
wish, is of no consequence; he was right
in his conclusions. Only by doing so
and making replanting penal offense
Golcnce of the people and compel them
to be industrious and happy. 49,.
For the planter with small means
that is with capital of 81, 900 upward
i know of no occupation SO certain to
realize decent income as growing
bananas, provided that the plantation is
within easy reach of the sea, and there
are steamers to carry his produce to
New Orleans, New York or London. That
is of prime Importance. For the rest,
he may tickle the soil and it will laugh
with a harvest. He need not take any
risk. He may sell his produce to the
captain of fruit steamer for 25 cents
bunch, pocket the money and have
done with it. And this plan has many
advantages. . ...s....
The banana is cultivated from suckers
springing from the roots of an existing
tree, generally known as the stool"
These suckers are detached and planted.
They strike and shoot up so fast that it
is no great eXaggeration to say that you
can see them grow. Ina year or less the
planter harvests the first crop.
The banana has no trunk, but soft,
fibrous, so-called stem, composed of the
| leaf stalks rolled one over the other,
which grows to from ten to twenty feet
in height, and withers after the fruit
has ripened. The tree is seldom known
10 seed. The roots, however, furnish
shoots or suckers year after year, until
the stool is exhausted. The purple
flower blossoms on long spikes, spring
ing from the cluster of leaves which APP
pear to open out from the stem. The
flower spikes are often four feet long,
| and the bunch of fruit which succeeds
, the blossom comprises from eight to
twelve dozen bananas, weighing from
| 80 to 60 pounds. The leaves are from six
to ten feet long and from one to two
feet wide! When the leaves are newly
opened the tree has a most graceful ap-
| pcarance.
For successful cultivation a cool, rich
and moist soil is required, the alluvial
deposits Of the river bottoms, or the
higher land where rain is abundant OF
water plentiful. Bananas grown or
high ground are said to be finer than
those of the valleys.
In preparing plantation the tree.
and brushwood should be cut down
and after lying month to dry, burned
and the ashes spread over the land. The
suckers, which, being very abundant
may be purchased at a low price, are
then planted ut distance Of from 10 tt
Is feet apart, or say 200 to the acre. II
Mexico, as will be seen presently, they
are often planted much more closely
1000 trees to the acre being common
After the hrst crop is harvested TIT
stems should be cut down, chopped int
short lengths and heap@ around thu
roots, whence spring the new suckers
Philadelphia Press.
Gentle Art OF Hanging.
| First Whitec aD-Here,s a latter fror