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BIGGER BANANAS.
Gros Michel* Flourish at Carnarvon
CARNARVON, Feb. 38.— A magntflmit
bunch of bananas produced by Mr. J.
BuioUc's, plantation on the Gaacoyne
settlement area has been on view for the
pest few days at Mr. C. R. Cornish's
Oascoyne Hotel, where It has caused con
siderable 'Interest and comment. The
bunch Is estimated to weigh some 70m.
and to comprise from 10 to 12 down
bananas. The fruit itself Is of unusual
Use, many of the bananas . measuring at
least Win. In length, some of them, as
one person who Inspected the bunch de
clared, looking 'more like cucumbers than
bananas.' ~
The bananas are of- the Ores Michel
variety, a number of which plants were
brought over from New 8outh Wales and
were put in by four local growers for
experimental purposes, fifteen months
ago. This variety, as a result of the ex
periment, has been found eminently suit
able for local conditions, and according
to the Tropical Adviser (Mr. G. B. Bar
nett) the suckers thrown by the imported
plants give every promise of 'developing
even better quality production than the
parent plants. A number of cases of the
Gros Michel bananas have been shipped
to Perth, where they have been well re
ceived in the market, and have been
very iftvom^saUy ^yfnTffffTiwfd upfln toy ptur*
chasers. .
Mr. Barnett Is very optimistic concern
ing the results which win possibly be
obtained with this variety of »«'^»n»r and
considers that the bunch now on view at
the Oascoyne Hotel is a remarkable
achievement, in that only fifteen months
ago the .plants were brought over as small
suckers, and during that period have had
to become acclimatised, yet - have de
veloped sufficiently to produce fruit .of
such excellent quality. .
Several other varieties of bananas have
also been experimented with on some of
the plantations, but In some case* results
have not been satisfactory. Mr. Barnett,
however, intends to continue such experi
ments, with a view to ascertaining other
varieties which win give good results
under local conditions.
The variety originally introduced here,
and which at present constitutes the
great bulk of the Oascoyne crop, is the
Cavendish banana.
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