BANANAS GROWING IN AUCKLAND

Patea Mail, Volume LIII, 23 July 1934, Page 4

BANANAS GROWING IN AUCKLAND

DOMAIN WJ NT DU CARDLN. swkkt fkujt from flants. Two banana plants in ll.i> Domain Winter <!;i:•<lcn at Auckland have bo'-ne full-sized bundles of fruit, which have ripened to perfection. Those who have been fortunate enough to taste them have iledaieb that they are very sweet, ami have highly developed and true banana llavour, which is usually missing from fruit eaten a long time after Lcir-g picked, 1 Tie b.aaianas themselves arc about oiu long and liiivc very thin skins.

Known as Dwarf Chinese, tin' plants arc of a type grown extensively in the Caarary Islands, and also in the West Indies. 'They favour a sub-1 ropical (dimate and a medium altitude. The temperature of the house in whi -h they have been grown would average about (id degrees and rise, to nearly k 0 degrees. Drown from suckers, the plants in tin l tropical house at the Dorns in become mature in about tin' third year. Hitherto they have been grown in puts. "Being gross feeders, however, they have rather root bound, and si' have not produced better than undersized fruit. Those that have come to proper maturity wore planted mil in an open bed and so could grow to their full size. After the fruit hrs been picked one of the new suckers from each plant will bo replanted for a further crop.