. The Cuba review. 20 THE CUBA REVIEW. BANANA CULTURE IN CUBA. Soil Requirements—Liberal Water Supply Essential—Preparing the Land—Planting and Pruning Directions—The Best Varieties for Home and Export. —Poor Carrjdng Quality of Cuban Grown Bananas. BY C. F. AUSTIN, • Chief of Department of Horticulture, of the Bstacion Central Agronomica, Cuba. The banana (musa sapientum Linn., chiefly) is one of our very valuable tropical plants, being cultivated for its fruit, its fiber, and for ornamental uses. The fruiting species seldom produce seed, and are propagated by suckers which grow from the base
. The Cuba review. 20 THE CUBA REVIEW. BANANA CULTURE IN CUBA. Soil Requirements—Liberal Water Supply Essential—Preparing the Land—Planting and Pruning Directions—The Best Varieties for Home and Export. —Poor Carrjdng Quality of Cuban Grown Bananas. BY C. F. AUSTIN, • Chief of Department of Horticulture, of the Bstacion Central Agronomica, Cuba. The banana (musa sapientum Linn., chiefly) is one of our very valuable tropical plants, being cultivated for its fruit, its fiber, and for ornamental uses. The fruiting species seldom produce seed, and are propagated by suckers which grow from the base of the main plants. Each stalk or sucker, if left to develop, will produce one bunch of fruit, and then die. The usual method is to cut the whole stem down when removing the .ruit. The banana delights in a rich, moist, deep soil, that has an abundance of. vegetable matter in it. To do its best and produce large bunches of fine fruit the year around, it must have a liberal and' regular supply of water. Bananas do not. give good results during our long dry winters. If they cannot have ideal condition?, they will grow upon almost any soil except a poor dry one, and give fair results. In preparing land it should be plowed deeply, replowed, and harrowed until it is in fine mellow condition. Too much pains cannot be taken in having the land well prepared for planting. -, The best time for planting is during the rainy season, from June to September. Planting. Select good) strong suckers from 2 to 4 feet high, with large well-developed bulbs. The common distance for planting in this country is from 12 to 14 feet each way. Dig good large holes and set the plant just so the crown- of the bulb is below the surface of the ground. Make the soil firm around the bulb and, if dry, give a good liberal watering and, as soon as the water settles away, cover the moist dirt with dry, fine soil. In the' newer sections it is common in planting bananas to simply cut down. A BANANA PLANTAT
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