292 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



September 19, 1908. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



MANGO GROWING IN CUBA. 



The mango grows in a wild state throughout the 

 island of Cuba, and since this fruit is one that com- 

 mands a high price on the American mari^et, some 

 attention has of late been given to its commercial 

 ■cultivaiion with the object of developing an export 

 trade in the future. 



The soil and climatic conditions required by the 

 mango, the mcihdds of propagation, planting, and tend- 

 ing ihe tree, j)icking and {lacking the fruit, etc., are 

 •disfiu.ssed in an article which appeared in the July 

 number of the Culm Re i;U':i>\ and a summary of the 

 •chief points dealt with maybe of interest. 



The mango does not appear iiaiticiilar as tu tlie .^(lil on 

 which it grow.s. Vigorou.s trees are soinetiino.s seen growing 

 ■on very poor land, but the return obtained i.s of course niucli 

 increased by the application of fertilizers in such a case. 

 Good drainage of the soil is iniiHirtant, for the mango tree 

 will not thiive in the presence of stagnant water. Dry 

 weather is reijuired during the blossoming and fruit-setting 

 period, but after the fruit is .set and during tlu' ripening 

 period, abundance of moisture is essential. The climatic and 

 soil condition.s of Cuba, it is stated, aie well adapted to 

 successful mango cultivation. 



The method of inarching oi- grafting by approach is the 

 most .suitable method of pro])agation of the mango. For this 

 purpose seedling.s are rai.sed from seeds planted in pots. Well- 

 grown plants of about two years old are ready fiir inarching. 

 The process of union will take from eight to ten weeks 

 to complete and during this period the seedlings reijuire 

 frequent watering and constant attention. Many seedlings 

 may, of course, be grafted at one time from one parent tree. 

 When th(^ union is coiiqik'te, the branch of the jiarent tree is 

 completely .severed, and the pot containing the grafted 

 plant is then removed and placol for three or four weeks 

 in a sii;idy place, sheltered from wind. At the end of this 

 time it is leadj' for trau.splanting in the field. 



In a mango orchard, a distance of at least 30 feet each 

 way shotdd be allowed from tree to tree : 30 feet by 40 feet 

 or even 40 by 40 feet is not too close. For the purpose of 

 .setting out the young grafted plants, holes mu.st be dug 

 which should be fairly deep and broad. The.se .shoidd then 

 be tilli'd in around with good surface soil, and the jilant 

 finally set in at the same depth a.s before transplanting, the 

 earth lieing tightly pres.sed around. 



At pn sent, of couise, mangos are not shipped on any 



Europe in good condition has been proved by a few .ship- 

 ments made from .Janjaica to England, and from Martinique 

 to Paris. For successful shipment to distant countrie.s, how- 

 ever, great care is needed for gathering and packing, since 

 the slightest brui.se or injury soon .''hows itself on the fruits. 



The mangos should be picked when fully grown l,ut 

 before the sfiftening, 'which is characteristic of the ripening 

 stage, sets in. Care should be taken to pick the fruit in the 

 dry condition, and only just before it is to be placed on board 

 the steamer. Each fruit should be wrapped in soft, fresh, 

 clean wrap|iing jiaper such as is used for oranges. 



The crates in vhieh the fruits are [lacked should be 

 shallow and not too large. They .should be substantially 

 made of thin Mood, and undue pressure in packing should be 

 avoided. Some fine grass may with a<|vantage be placed in 

 tile liottom of the date in which the fruits are despatched. 



At the close of the article in question, reference is made 

 to one or two of the liiest varieties of mangos grown in Cuba, 

 to which it is thought that attention might most protitalily 

 be given, and which are therefore recommended for giafting 

 purpo.ses. These include the Apjile mango, the rhiliiipine 

 mango, a variety known as the • ]\rulgoba ' imported from 

 the United States, the ' .\lphonse ' or ' Alfoo.s,' and No XL 



large 



but the fad that tlie fruit may be exported to 



FRUIT GROWING IN JAMAICA. 

 Some interesting details in regard to what is evidently 

 a iirosperous fruit-growing concern in .lamaica were lately 

 ]iulilished in the ./iinnnrd Tliiiis. The property referred to 

 is the llartlands iilantation, consisting of .some "_',. '500 acres of 

 rich, level, clayey land, which is under irrigation. Piiie.s 

 and liananas were grown for a time on ]iart of the planta- 

 tion, but neither of .,these crops gave satisfactory returns, 

 and were abandoned. Ordinary pen work is carried out 

 on a cousideralile scale on the estate and large numbers 

 of cattle are reared. Citrus fruit cultivation was started 

 some six or seven years ago, howiver, and promises 

 to be a verj" juolitable undertaking, .\liout 1"20 acres have 

 been planted with oranges, and 75 acres with grape fruit. The 

 fruit trees are planted 22 yards apart and tfiere are now over 

 1 0,000 trees on the property. Trenches have been dug across 

 the beds by means of which the orange trees are irrigated 

 when water is leiiuireil. The fruit gathering season begins 

 in Septenilnr. and there is always a ready market for the 

 gra])e fruit. During the year 1907-8, there were exported 

 from the [ilantatiou 4,000 boxes of oranges, and 12,000 

 boxes of grape fruit. 



