116 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 17, 1909. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



THE LITCHI. 



It is noticed that ainong the plants lately intro- 

 duced into the United States Iroin (breiga countries, 

 by the Department of Agriculture, aie included speci- 

 mens of' the litoiii, brought from China. The litchi 

 {NcpItfdiuiK Liirlu) is an important liuit tree belong- 

 ing to the natui'al nrder Sapindaoeae, which grows wild 

 in Southern China and Malaya, and is also largely 

 cultivated both in those countries and in Briiish India. 

 Specimens are to be found in a few of the West Indian 

 Islands, notably in the French islands of (Ju.-ideloupe 

 and Martinique, and at the Botanic (hardens of Jamaica, 

 Trinidad, and Dominica. It \vas introduced into the 

 last-named island from Guadeloupe in 1898. The fruit 

 of the Litchi consists of a nut, containing one seed, 

 surrounded by a fleshy aril. 



The Litchi tree is a hand.some evergreen, which is 

 propagated by la3'erhig or circumpositiou. It Nourishes be.«t 

 in a moist aUuvial soil. In the East this tree yields large 

 •crops of fruit annuallj', but the few specimens under observa- 

 tion do not appear .so satisfactory in this respect in the West 

 Indies. A Litchi at Dominica flowered and fruited in 

 1905-6 and again in 1906-7, however, and in this connexion, 

 Mr. Joncis wrote : ' The ditHculty \vitli thi-s tree in the West 

 Indies is to get it to fruit aniuially. On one of the small 

 litchi trees, where a number of branches were being propaga- 

 ted by circiun|josition, it was noticed that nearly every shoot 

 so treated j)rocluced tlowers. This seems to afford a hint 

 that if branches of the trees had a ring of bark removed 

 jibout October or November, the check given nught probably 

 cause the trees to flower and fruit early in the following 

 year. 



The litcld has been long established at (lua(lel<iu|ie, and 

 specimens are to be seen in many jiarts of the island. 

 According to Duss's ' Flore des Antilles francaise.s, ' the 

 trees flower in January or February. 



Reports on the growth and productiveness of the litchi 

 in the l^ast refer to it as a most hardy and fruitful tree. 

 A point insisted upon in connexion with its growth is the 

 need of a good w-ater sup])ly, as the trees are apt to 

 •suffer from drfmght. 



According to Watt's ' Dietituiary of the Econondc 

 Products of India, ' this fruit is grown and consumed in 

 large quantity in Bengal. It is stated that ' when fi'esh, the 

 great bunches of litchis look like bright, pinkish strawberies, 

 •but they rapidly lo.se their bloom, and assume a dirty, 

 biiiunisii i-ni(iur. ' The fruit is ifeavly round, au'l about 



\h inches in diameter. The edible portion is the bitter-sweet, 

 jelly-like pulp or aril which covers the seed, and the whole is 

 enclosed in a thin reddi.sh, or brownish, brittle shell. The 

 fresh fruit has a very pleasant, acid flavour. 



Litchi fruit are dried in China and Cochin-China, from 

 whence they are exported to the L'nited States, and England. 

 Dried litchis bear no resemblance to the fresh fruit, but are 

 by no means unpalatab'le. Li appearance and taste they 

 are not unlike raisins. 



If this tree could be well established in the West 

 Indies, and got to fruit regularly. i( would prove 

 a desirable addition tb our list of fruits. 



CACAO IN JAVA. 



In response to enquiries from v.-irious (jiiarters, 

 the United States Considar Department lately pidjlish- 

 ed a report on the methods of cacao cultivation adopted 

 in Java. 



As in the West Indies, .some attention ha.-;, of late, beea 

 ]iaid to propagating cacao by grafting and budding, and 

 these fftbrts, it is .^tated, have been fairly successful. The 

 .soil in Java on which this crop does best is a rich, sandy- 

 loam, situated at an altitude of from 1,000 to 1,800 feet 

 above sea-level. lu some districts however, the trees thrive 

 well on light sandy .soil. , 



Permanent .shade trees are planted among the cacao ; 

 the soil is kept free from weeds, and one or two cidtivations 

 given annually, around the cacao trees. A flrst crop is 

 usually obtained in from three to live years after planting. 



The time for harvesting cacao in Java varies according 

 to altitude. At higher Mvels picking commences about May, 

 and lasts until July or .-VVtgust Plantations nearer the sea- 

 level frequently yield two crop.s, the flrst beiiig gathered 

 about March, and the second in October. The aimual crop 

 yield appears to vary froiii about -li to 9 cwt. of cacao i)er 

 acre. The pods arc opened in the plantation.s, the husks 

 buried beneath the trees, and the beans taken to the factory 

 for fermentation— a process which occupies from forty- 

 eight to sixty hours. Inuring fermentation the beans are 

 turned every twelve hours or so. Washing and drying follow. 

 Drying by artificial means is j)referred to exposure to 

 the sun. 



The cacao is shipped in sacks of about 100 lb. In 1907, 

 the prices obtained for Java cacao varied from 8IS-S9 to 

 .•{!:25-22 per 13611). .„ 



a- 



