212 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



July 2, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



GATHERING FRUIT FOR MARKET. 



The following notes are taken from an article by 

 Messrs. W. Cradwick, W. Harris and T. J. Harris, in 

 the Bulletin of the Department <</ Agriculture, 

 Jamaica, for May 1904: — ■ 



rine-afqilfs. — Li gathering ripe nine-apples do not cut 

 the steins, Ijut break off each clcse up to the base of the 

 fruit. 



Do not leave the fruits Ivin" in the sun after fiatheiim'. 

 but remove them at once to a dry, shady }ilace. 



When carrying the fruits to inarl:et keep tlicin dry, 



shade from the 

 way. 



iun and be careful not to bruise them in 

 iff the crowns: these add to 



any 

 the 



the 

 and 

 partly 

 gently, 



Do not trim or cut 

 ajipearance of the fruits. 



Bawinag. — In cutting down bananas, do not fell 

 trees, so that bunches fall on the ground with a crash 

 get biuised and soiled with earth: cut the stem 

 through high up, so that the bunch will conic down 

 and can be caught with the hands. 



Wrap each Ijunch carefully in soft trasli and handle with 

 great care in carrying them to the deiiot. 



Keep them dry, and shade from the sun as much as 

 possible. 



Unbruised, ripe bananas are worth four times as much 

 when they get to England or America as the bruised ones. 

 A small bruise does not show when the bunch is green, but 

 when the fingers ripen, the bruised parts turn black and rot. 



<j rapes. — liunches of grapes should be well thinned while 

 the grapes are quite small, abolit the size of a Gungo 

 [or Pigeon] [lea. A bunch of properly thinned grapes weighs 

 more than an unthinned bunch, and the berries are bigger, 

 finer looking and much sweeter. Unless they are thinned 

 they cannot ripen properly. 



liefore cutting a bunch of grajies be sure that it is quite 

 ripe. Bunches containing a great many green or half-rii.ie 

 berries are of little value. 



Line the basket or tray with plenty of nice fresh leaves 

 from the grape vine and lay the bunches carefully on these. 



Do not put too many liunches in the Imsket or tray or 

 they will squeeze each other and .spoil the berries, and never 

 put one Ijunch on the top of another. 



When carriyng to market cover the bunches with fine 

 muslin to keep off the dust. Grapes should never be 

 handled except by the stem, and then as little as possible, 

 and with very great care. 



Citrus. — Oranges and grape fruits shouhl never be 

 shaken off the trees, but should always be stem-cut and 



gathered by hand, the fruits Ijeing placwd in padded baskets 

 as they are gathered. All bruised fruits, or those that are 

 injured by prickles, should be rejected. 



The fruits when gathered should be removed at once to 

 a cool, airy [ilace, and kept quite dry. In sending to market 

 or to the fruit dejiot take every po.ssible care not to expo.se 

 the fruits to sun or rain, and handle them more carefully 

 than eggs, always remembering that one bruised fruit will 

 spoil man}' others. 



M^aiir/os. — Do not shake mangos off the trees, for in 

 falling to the ground they get bruised, which causes rot to 

 set in, and bruised fruits of any kind arc not good. Gather 

 by hand and iilaee gently in baskets. 



If the fruits are for export they should be stem-cut like 

 oranges. Do not expose to the rain, sun or <lust. 



A'aseherries. — Naseberries [or .sapodillas] should be 

 gathered singly l)y hand, and carefully placed in a l)ag which 

 the gatherer may take u|> the tree with him. 



When the bag is filled it should not be dropi)ed to the 

 ground, but should be lowered carefully by means of a stout 

 cord or a rope to avoid brusing the fruits contained in it. 



Although naseberries are quite hard when gathered, any 

 injury that they receive is plainly seen when they ripen a few 

 days later. 



Ah'eg. — Akees shruild be gathered just when they begin 

 to open. Never gather or eat green, unripe or stale akee.s-, 

 nor allow any one to eat them, as they are then [loisonous. 

 Never pick akees from a branch that has been broken or 

 twisted ; forced-ripe akees are also poisonous. 



Avocado Pears. — Pears should be gatliered and handled 

 with great care. Any scratch or bruise will cause a pear to 

 rot and it is then not fit for food. 



The person who gathers piears should go up the tree with 

 a bag or basket in which he should gently ])lace each fruit a.s 

 picked, and when he has gathered eriough, his bag or basket 

 should be slowlj' lowered to tlie ground by means of a rope. 



Pears are often nntch bruised by their own seed if 

 carelessly shaken. 



Horse Nicker Seeds. Tliese are tlie seeds of 

 Caesatjii/iia JloHduri'/la, a legunnnous tree of common 

 occurrence throughout the West Indies. The dry, orange- 

 lu-own pods are covered with spines : the seeds are lead- 

 coloured and beautifully polished. The specific name, 

 Bonducella, is, according to the Treasur// of Jiotani/, derived 

 from the Arabic Bondog, signifying a necklace, as the seeds 

 arc frequently used for necklaces, rosaries, etc. The oil 

 expressed from the seeds and tlie seeds themselves are put to 

 various uses in medicine. 



