36 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



J isi u:v 30, 1915. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



SHIELD-BUDDING OF TROPICAL FRUITS. 



The tropical regions of the world possess .1 multitude of 

 distinct species of plants bearing edible fruits, but very few 

 of them are reallj delicious to European taste. The standard 

 fruits of the northern temperate zone have been for centu- 

 ries subjected not only to culture, but to selective breedi 

 whereas until verj recently hardly any attempt at si li cti 

 or hybridization, or asexual propagation has been made with 

 most "i the fruits of the Tropics. Considering the small 

 amount ot can bestowed on fruit trees in the West Indies 

 for instance, the quality of the fruit produced is remarkable. 

 But the work ol selection needs more attention, together with 

 the fixing "f superior varieties by asexual propagation, 

 especiall) by budding or grafting them on to inferior, but 

 probably hardier species. 



One meets now and then with a tamarind tree which 

 bears pods sweet enough to be eaten raw with pleasure, or a 

 cashew tree producing fruit of very much le-s astringencj 

 than is usual. It reproduction of such varieties is attempted 

 bj seed, years must elapse before the result ran even be 

 tested, and then the special qualify desired may tail to have 

 been secured. These instances have been selected from among 

 the less sought alter fruit, but the same thing occurs in fruit 

 of higher type. A specialty large and sweet golden apple, 

 nr a very tin' avocado pear, or a particularly well flavoured 

 guava, if the variety is wanted to be perpetuated, it can onlj 

 be done with certainty by asexual propagation. 



Some very important work lias been d ■ in this 



direction by officers ol the Philippine Department of Agri- 

 culture. In Volume XII, No. 299, of the Agricultural News, 

 reference was made to the wi rk of 1'. -I. Wester, irted 



in the Philippine Agricultural Review, July 1913) on the 



possibilities of improving many of the varieties of the 



inonaceae by bud grafting "t - irior kinds on to stucks of 



hardy, but tasteless species. In the same Review, September 

 I 91 i, the same writer has aii' it her interesting article on recent 



experiments in shield budding tropical fruits, which contains 

 much valuable information for West Indian fruit growers. 



\s bo experiments with the Anonaceae, it is found in 

 the Philippines that the 'mamon' (Anona palustris, glabra), 

 known to West Indians as the 'monkey apple', makes an 

 excellent stock tor the sugar apple (A. squamosa), and 

 the much esteemed 'cherimoya' (A. cherimolia). The custard 

 apple (A. reticulata) as a stock is very successful, while for 

 that purpose the sour sop (A. muricala) does not seem s,, 

 suit. oil' . 



Mi Westei ha also successfully budded tin- golden 

 apple (Spondias dulcis, , cy theme), called in the Philippines, 

 lievi. Misdirections for tin- are as follows: "In tin hevi 

 (golden apple) slender branches, 7 to Hi millimetres in 



diameter, with matured w I should In- selected for laid 



wood. Tin- hevi is a very rapid grower, and calluses quickly; 



the buds tin QOUld lie cut large, not less than 4 



centimetres long.' Be has not apparently attempted the 



budding of the golden apple onto another species of the 



me genus. It might be well worth while to make exp 



incuts in this line in tin Well Indies. The hog plum 



(Spondias lutea) is of very vigorous habit, and might 

 a useful -tock for the golden apple, with a view to producing 

 an improved varietj "i that deliriously flavoured fruit, which 

 might he freei from objectionable spiny fibres, which at 

 present militate against the appreciation ol it- flavour. 



The budding 1 In- ivocado p »r, for reprod icing 

 a practi sed foi some time; but I lie 

 budding of the gi 1 p irs never to have been carried 



successfully before Mi ixperiments. II'- seems to 



have proved that tin- operation had better he attempted 



during the winter 11101 ths. The stocks should he treated 

 early as their size pen aits, and as near the ground as 1 mve 

 nient, for the reason th.it they send out -hunt- of their own 

 very persistently, and these are apt to retard the growth of the 

 scion, if the buds 1 erted too high above the ground. If 



the buds are insert I into "id stocks they sprout with 

 difficulty. The bud wood should be sufficiently mature for 

 all the g 11 colour to have disapp ired from the bark, and 



the buds should be ci I from 2'5 to •"> centimetres long. In 



all these budding opi itions waved tape should be used 

 tying the bud in. 



There appears to be a field for verj interesting in • 



gation and experiment in this direction. Results cannot be 



obtai 1 at once, but anyone whose inclination leads hie 



make trials in budding or grafting tropical fruit may very 

 probably hit upon a line on which in the future some really 

 good fruit may be evolved from things which at pre 

 only be termed edible. 



MONTSERRAT PINE-APPLES IN CANADA. 



The Curator ol the Botanic station, Montserrat, 

 forwarded corres] lence and account sales relative to a ship- 

 ment of pineapples from that island to Canada. 



Tim shipment consisted of 8 crate- containing III 

 pines. Of these, lis were sold, about a dozen Were in 



hand not s,,ld, and me fourteen were not accounted for at 



the t ii I writing. 



These 118 pine- -Id for $20-33. The total charges were 

 $6"94, leaving a net balance On the shipment of $13 - 39, with 

 twenty-six pines not .-"Id or accounted for. If these last 



are omitted, and the n't proceeds he reckoned as from the 



whole number "I 1 1 1 pines, the price per pine in Montserrat 

 works out at aboul lid. each, from which to meet the .■..st 

 of growing, harvesting, deliverj to shipper, packing, and 

 crates, as well as the profits of shipper and grower. The 

 Curator estimates, however, that when this figure can be 

 obtained, pines can be grown at a profit on suitable lands. 



It is "f interest to note that this shipment consisted "I 

 unripe pines forwarded in 1 lold stowage, and of 



other-- what ripei in cold storage. These latter arrived 



at their destination m a less satisfaetorj condition than those 

 sent under tl rdinary hold condition. 



A criticism ol the Montserrat pine is that it is not 

 sufficiently showy, although it- flavour is reported t.. be 



excellent. It seems thai pines are still sold largely mi then 

 looks and that large, stocky fruit of bright colour, and p"s- 



sessing g I, well proportioned, leafy tops, are attractive to 



the consumer, even though the flavour i- not equal to the 

 more slender, less liighij coloured Montserrat pin.-, wit' 



small top. 



It might he advisable for the Montserrat grower to 

 make trials of the Red Spanish variet] for shipment to 



Camilla, and to continue t" grow the Ripley type for special 

 marl 



There are aboul 180,000 acres planted in citrus fruits in 

 California. Then ire about 8,000 citrus growers, the 

 average holding being about 20 acres. The annual shipment 

 is now about I 1.. "a ki.i mii 1 boxes, approximately one-sixth 



..I the world's supply, (From Circular No. 121 of the 

 University of California, College of Agriculture.) 



