196 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 21, 1913. 



FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES. 



FACTS CONCERNING INDIAN MANGOES. 



The climatic conditions which have proved to be best 

 suited to mango culture in India have recently been dealt 

 ■with in an article in the Cuha JIaya:iiit for April 1913. 

 It is pointed out first, that to the mind of the average 

 northern horticulturist the mango is best adapted to a hot, 

 humid, and typically tropical region like that of lower 

 Bengal, whereas the fact is that in India the mango thrives 

 best in a region like that in the neighbourhood of Saharanpur 

 at the foot of the Himalayas, where tlie average annual 

 precipitation is only about 35 inches. Here during the 

 season when the mangoes are reaching maturity no rain 

 falls, and the air is extremely hot and dry. It is stated that 

 this comparatively dry atmosphere, coupled with extreme 

 heat, has led to the production of mangoes which have made 

 Saharanpur famous. In this district, a temperature of 

 100° F. and above may continue throughout the twenty- 

 four hours of the day during the ripening season. Occa- 

 sionally, during winter, as much as 12"^ of frost has been 

 recorded; and herein lies an explanation, that cold snaps, 

 even with low temperatures, do little harm —indeed may 

 be very beneficial if they are of very short duration. 



In some places in India where mangoes are cultivated, 

 the precipitation may be as much as 100 inches, but this does 

 not fall during the flowering season. In this connexion the 

 circumstance which was pointed out in a recent article in 

 the Agricultural Neiva may again be coted — that the mango 

 flower possessing only one pollen-bearing stamen and a .stigma 

 that is exposed to the weather, always suffers damage if rain 

 is received during the period of pollination. 



Turning from the discussion of climatic conditions in 

 relation to mango culture in India, the article under con- 

 sideration proceeds with the subject of soils and the cultiva- 

 tion of the tree. It is well known that the mango is not par- 

 ticular in regard to soil, requiring only that it be well 

 drained and reasonably deep. In India grafted trees are 

 usually planted 35 feet apart, though some successful growers 

 have obtained good results by planting at a distance of 

 20 feet. Holes are dug 4 feet in diameter and -t feet deep, 

 and the subsoil replaced by some of the surface soil. If 

 available, a ijuantity of stable manure is placed in 

 the bottom ol each hole. A very iulereiting feature 

 remarked upon in connexion with the manuring of the mango 

 is the practice employed by growers, in fornier years, near 

 Bombay. Ten pounds of common salt was applied to each 



tree in September. This arrested growth in October and 

 November, and encouraged the formation of flower buds. In 

 a dry climate this would be unnecessary, but it might pro- 

 duce good results in an extremely warm aud moist region 

 where the trees are naturally encouraged to continue grow- 

 ing all the year round. 



-A^niongst the facts presented on the picking and distri- 

 bution of the fruit mention may be made of the processes of 

 curing. Each fruit is packed loosely in straw or soft grass, 

 and laid on a bench in the curing or sweating room, which 

 must be well ventilated and as cool as possible. In a day 

 or two they are perfectly ripened and ready for the table. It 

 is emphasized that great care and attention should be bestowed 

 upon curing and picking, since this is araptly recompensed by 

 the improvement in the flivour of the juice For shipping, 

 the fruits are picked a few days before they are ready ta 

 drop from the tree, and are packed in baskets of straw, each 

 specimen being wrapped in soft paper. 



The article concludes with a description of some twenty 

 varieties of Indian mangoes, lleference may be made to the 

 Alphonse of Bombay, already frequently noted in the Agri- 

 cultural Sews as one of the finest varieties; to the Bombay 

 Yellow, of the I'nited Provinces, which ranks so high as 

 a shipping variety; to the Fuslibewa, one of the largest varie- 

 ties in cultivation, weighing up to 4 lb.; and lastly to the 

 Kohitoor, which is regarded as by far the best in quality of 

 all the Murshedabad varieties. A story is told of this latter 

 variety. Making Aga Muhammed, who owned a parent tree, 

 .sent some of the fruits to Itajah Hosseim Ali Mirza Bahadur, 

 who was a great mango enthusiast. Upon tasting the fruits, 

 the Itajah offered 2,000 lis. for the tree, which has ever since 

 remained in his possession. 



In reproducing an article that appeared recently in the 

 Agricultural A'tws on the South American plant, Bedi/chium 

 colonarium. as a new source of paper, the tjuetnsland Agri- 

 cultural -hmrual (April 1913) remarks upon a statement 

 made in this article, namely that the fibre derived from the 

 new source has been found to be equal in strength to the 

 best pure .Manila hemp, which is the only fibre that can be 

 used in the self-binding reaping machine. The above- 

 (juoted journal states that in i^iueen.sland, ssal hemp ha.s 

 proved successful as a twine for reapers and self-binders. 



