Bananas.—The terms " banana " and " plantain " are applied to the fruits of many species and varieties of the genus Musa, which is found throughout the tropics and subtropics. The kinds yielding edible fruit are cultivated as far north as Japan, Madeira, Syria, N. Africa, and even parts of S. Europe. They bear at an elevation of 4590 ft. in a temperature of 16° (61° F.), but the cultivation Is not profitable. Many varieties are found In India, China, the E. Archipelago, Persia, Asia Minor, Arabia; aome are cultivated in Guinea, Madagascar, Abyssinia, Nubia, Egypt, Greece, Sicily, and Spain ; but its greatest development seems to be attained in Equatorial America : Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, the Guianas, the W. Indies, and even in Louisiana and Florida. The plants like a warm, moist soil, and prefer the neighbourhood of the sea. They are propagated by slips about 8 in. long, frequently as " shade " for other crops. They require 5-20 months to mature, according to the variety and the locality. The fruit seldom reaches this country in perfection, and is little appreciated. In the tropics, it forms the chief food of several millions of people. In 1879, the United States imported 305,094 bunches of bananas from the W. Indies, chiefly Batavia; and 240,000 from Panama. In 1878, we imported 1829 bunches from St. Michael's (Azorea); in 1879, 564 bunches. The leaves afford a valuable fibre (seo Fibrous Substances—Musa sp. div.).
Citrons (Fe., Citrons ; (ha., Citronen).—Citrons are the fruit of Citrus medica, an evergreen tree, about 8 ft. in height. It thrives in the open air in India, Burma, China, Persia, the Mediterranean region, Florida, and the W. Indies. Its cultivation is confined within narrow limits, having given way before the more prolific lemon. The trees are still scattered along the Western Riviera, about Paola and Pizzo on the western coast of Calabria, in Sicily, Corsica, the Azores, and Greece. The fruits, weighing several pounds, arc chiefly used for making candied peel. Leghorn was the groat seat of the candied citron-peel trade, exporting about 5000 boxes (1000-1100 tons) in good seasons. This trade has declined, and the peel is now largely shipped in brine to England and Holland. Statistics of this trade are very meagre and unreliable, no trouble being taken to distinguish eitrons from lemons. The values of the exports from Syra in 1878 were :—To England (including figs and raisins), 14481.; Turkey, 3071. ; Austria, 601. ; Danubian Principalities, 181. The orangeries of Florida produced 23,789 citrons in 1879.
Coconuts. See Nuts—Coconuts.
Currants (Fe., Raisins de Corinthe ; Gen., KOrinthen.)—Imported currants are the seedless fruit of a variety (corinthiaca) of grape-vine, Vitis vinifera, peculiar to Greece. The plant is cultivated chiefly in Zante, Cephalonia, Ithaca, and near Patras. Until the independence of Greece, the culture was insignificant, and confined to Patras, EgialL:c. and Corinth ; but in 1860 the area occupied by it Was 15,300 hectares (of 2i acres); and in 1875, 36,631 hectares, of which, 29,138 were in the old kingdom, and 7493 in the Ionian Isles. The total crop shows an average production of about 16 cwt, an acre. The currant-vines prefer the littoral districts and the lowlands, leaving the higher lands to the grape-vine. Gypseous and calcareous marls are preferred to limestone, as they favour deep penetration of the roots, and do not allow of too rapid escape of moisture. The vines are planted 3-1 ft. apart in rows 6 ft. apart. They are propagated by grafting upon grape-vine
stocks, or by planting out, in the spring, young shoots taken at the end of the previous year from old currant-vines cut off below ground. The grafting stock is cut down at 1 ft. below the surface, and 2-3 shoots are inserted in perpendicular chisel-cuts near the bark. Moist marl is then applied to the wounds, and wrapped on with leaves and rushes, after which, the earth is filled in around, leaving 2-3 eyes above the surface. Grafts bear fruit in 3 years; slips, in about 6. The plantations are irrigated from October to the end of the year, and are subsequently kept constantly moist ; in December, they aro cleared of dead and weak wood ; in February, they are pruned, and the median shoots are removed from tho buds, leaving only the lateral ones ; in February-March, basins of earth are hoed up around the stems, to facilitate watering; in April-May, when the leaves show, the ground is well turned, manured if necessary, and re-leveled; in June, the new shoots are broken back ; in July, the fruit begins to ripen ; and in August, it is harvested. An operation, known as "ring-cutting," or peeling a circle off the vines which are in blossom, is much practised ; it is said to concentrate the sap in the young forming berries, producing more heavy, thin-skinned and delicate fruit. The trees are very liable to attacks of oidium, against which, a dusting of brimstone is applied while the fruit is ripening. Recently a new malady, called Anthracnose, has done much temporary damage, especially near Pirgos : the young shoots were affected by a rough excrescence, followed by the leaves and fruit withering and dropping off; it was checked by the hot weather, and does not seem to have left permanent effects. After 7 years, the vines do not yield profitably. When ripe, the currants are gathered, and spread on a drying-ground, in layers in. thick, exposed to the sun. Rain at this time is disastrous, damaging, and even destroying, the crop. No precautions are taken to prevent rain causing fermentation during the drying, beyond the occasional turning which is done to detach the fruit from the stems. The dried currants are packed in large butts for exportation. Besides their well-known culinary application, they were largely used by French wine-makers last season, to replace the deficiency of the grape vintage. For this purpose, the currants are shipped in bulk or in bags. The approximate valves of the various brands known in this market are :—Vostizza, 34-43s. a cwt.; Cephalonia, 2 t-343. ; Zante, 24-31s.; Patras, 23-34s.; Gulf, 25-42s.; Provincial, 21-3Iq.; Pyrgos, 21-34q. ; old, all kinds, 16-33s. In 1879, the shipments from the Mores were (in tons) :—To United Kingdom, 52,102; France, about 14,000; United States, 7470; Trieste, 1439; N. Europe, 397; Canada, 277; Russia, 195. About 1000 tone were exported from the Ionian Isles. The value of the exports from the provinces of Calamata and Messenia was 107,1841., being a middling crop ; 4 went to France, and the remainder to England, Germany, and Russia. The produce exported from Nauplia was valued at 19,740/. The crop in the Pirgos district reached 24,000 tons, value 360,000/. In 1877, Syra exported 6183l. worth to France, and 451/. to Austria. Our imports in 1879 were :—From Greece, 1,136,957 cwt., value 1,461,252/. ; other countries, 11,555 cwt , 14,1761. The import duty is 7s. a cwt. The cultivation of currants has recently assumed some importance in S. Australia.