10 

 92.— "THE MANGOSTEEN."— 6?aranm Mangostana, Linn. 



The tree growing in the Eoyal Botanic Gardens, a notice of 

 •which has appeared more than once in Annual Reports and elsewhere, 

 still continues to thrive and produce fruit. 



It is, we believe, the largest specimen in existence in the Western 

 World, being over 35 feet in height and some 40 feet in diameter in 

 the spread of its branches. It first fruited under the care of my pre- 

 decessor Mr. H. Prestoe in the year 1875, since which time it has 

 fruited at irregular intervals, but generally during the later months of 

 the year, commencing generally in September and continuing to ripen 

 fruit daily for nearly two months. 



The frviit produced by our tree is of excellent quality, and in 

 September, 1891, a sample was taken to JEngland by His Excellency 

 Sir F, N. Broome, K.CM.G., and presented to Her Majesty the Queen, 

 who was pleased to say she found them " quite excellent." They 

 have also been pronounced to be of excellent quality by several who 

 have eaten the Mangosteen in the Straits Settlements, to which 

 country they are indigenous. 



The fruit seldom produces more than one or two mature seeds. 

 These grow readily, but so far as we are aware, few trees have 

 been established from them. Our experience shows that after 

 appearing above ground the seedling grows freely for some one or 

 tAvo years, but afterwards generally assumes a sickly appearance and 

 gradually dies out. We can only account for this by attributing it to 

 imperfect fertilization ; and it is quite possible that if two or three 

 more mature trees were present this difficulty would soon disappear. 

 This hypothesis seems to be strengthened by the fact that, seedlings 

 received from the East (Singapore, &c.), grow very much better than 

 those raised upon the spot, and we have one young imported plant 

 which is doing well, and we trust will soon be beyond the dangerous 

 stage. We are particularly anxious that it should be so, as it would 

 be a great acqusition to secure regular supplies of such excellent 

 fruit for our local markets. I have written a correspondent in the 

 East to send me a case of these plants next year, so that we may be 

 able to secure their permanent acclimatization — an object well worthy 

 of the best efforts we can make. 



Many West Indian residents are under the impression that this 

 fruit is allied to the Mango, and we are often called upon to show the 

 difference. The idea of course arises from the similarity of names, but 

 the fruits are quite different, for instead of having a large seed in 



