244 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS 



August 3. 1912, 



FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES. 



DRIED MflNGO 



An observer in North Queensland thus describes 

 a method of drying mangoes, that is carried out 

 successfully in that part of Australia. The description 

 appears in the Queensland Agricultural Journal for 

 February 1912:— 



The mango is i)kked just before turning colour. On 

 being peeled, the flesh is found to be firm and a pale-yellow 

 colour. This is cut off with a large knife in chips or small 

 slices some 2 inches in length, 1 inch or .so wide, and perhaps 

 J-inch thick. These slices are laid in the sun to dry, and 

 become dry enough to store in three or four days. Sheets of 

 galvanized iron (roofing) were used with sheets of paper 

 laid on them. Cloth was not found satisfactory, and the 

 paper could not be dispensed with, as the acid juice of the 

 fruit turned the product a dark colour if in direct contact 

 ■with the iron. I observed various stages of drying, but was 

 unable to see any one batch through from peeling and paring 

 to packing. I was, however, informed, that if laid out in 

 full sunlight in the day, and covered at night, it is dry enough 

 to pack in three or four days. One turning is required. 

 The fully dried 'chips' are of a very pale-yellow or brownish- 

 white colour, and if only cut into similar shapes could hardly 

 be distinguished in appearance from the be.'it dried apples. 

 Sometimes when halfdried the chips are threaded on to 

 Gtrings or hem]) twine for convenience, as is done with apple 

 chips in some countries and with meat in others, as such 

 strings are more easily exposed to the sun and air, as well as 

 brought under cover again than are trays. I have even seen 

 these strings, 5 or 6 yards in length, draped over the 

 clothes lines for final drying 



These chips when thoroughly dry, are stored in air-tight 

 receptacles, and may be packed quite tightly in them. 

 Large glass jars and wide-mouthed bottles are used, but the 

 best receptacles are the large earthenware jars in which the 

 Chinese import liquor, preserves, or sauces. Hermetical 

 sealing is very necessary, and is generally done with ordinary 

 beeswax. 



In this manner the mango keeps perfectly, and apparently 

 indefinitely, without any preservative whatever. 



When cooked, the dried fruit darkens in colour a little, 

 and is not so decided in flavour as is the typical fresh mango — 

 in fact, to one who did not know what it was, it tastes 



.■somewhat like a mixture of dried apples and apricots. It 

 makes excellent tarts and pies, and could equally be u.sed for 



jams or chutneys. 



OOCO-NUTS IN ZANZIBAR. 



According to a correspondent of the Madras Mail, great 

 attention is being bestowed nowadays in several coco-nut 

 growing countries, to the various improved methods employed 

 in the cultivation and prepaiation of coco-nut products for 

 market. In this cnnexion it is interesting to learn that an 

 official from the Zanzibar Protectorate, which is now distinct 

 and separate from the Government of East Africa, has just 

 visited Southern India with the object of .securing, as free or 

 unindentured emigrants, twelve families who are wanted in 

 the Protectorate to help carry out the local Government's 

 endeavours to improve the standard of ccco-nut cultivation, 

 which is apparently not very high. The idea would appear 

 to be the gradual conversion of mixed gardens of cloves and 

 coco-nuts into exclusively coco-nut gardens, and should this be 

 realized, Zanzibar may cease to be the world's largest supplier 

 of cloves; its gardens have hitherto produced about four-fifths 

 of the clove crop.s of the world. Doubtle.ss, the authorities 

 of the Protectorate realize that coco-nuts will in the future 

 serve as a better foundation of prosperity than spices, of 

 which latter, however, the clove is not the only one largely 

 raised in Zanzibar, pepper, cinnamon and other descriptions 

 being also considerably produced and exported, in addition to 

 which gum copal aud rubber represent fairly important items 

 in the list of exports. The terms offered to the dozen families 

 were particularly attractive. For the first year after arrival 

 they will be permitted to cultivate where they like in the 

 coco nut and clove areas, while in the rice area each family 

 will be given an area not exceeding 3 acres rent free. 



After the first year special land purchase facilities will be 

 afforded, and for the next three years the work these 

 emigrants will be required to do will be the conversion of 

 mixed cloves and :;oconut gardens into purely coco-nut 

 gar'l.'ns, and we note that each family is required to take 

 its uwn native hand implements. (From Tropical Liie 

 June 1912, p. 107.) ' 



