THE MANGO. 9 



in several consignments to the Department greenhouses of many kinds 

 reputed to be of great value, but a few private growers have also been 

 importing some varieties which are highly praised. The acquisition 

 by the United States of tropical possessions will render the cultivation 

 of the mango of greater importance than ever. The fruit can not be 

 imported from the Philippines, but it will bean easy matter to import 

 young plants of the best of the many varieties growing- there. In 

 Porto Rico the tree thrives very luxuriantly and the fruit grown there 

 can be landed in New York within five days; but there is a large tract 

 of land in southern Florida where the mango thrives to perfection, 

 and when once the growers become acquainted with the best methods 

 of propagation, so that only the finest kinds shall be grown, the estab- 

 lishment of a large and profitable industry may be expected, for it is 

 reasonably certain that the demand for mangoes of good variety will 

 always keep pace with the supply. 



PROPAGATION IN INDIA. 



In India, the home of mango growing, propagation is effected by 

 very crude methods, grafting by approach being the principal one. 

 The union is made in several ways. Sometimes two stocks are planted 

 close enough together so that a union may be secured on both with a 

 single branch of a desirable variety. The method is shown in Plate 

 I, figs. 1 and 3. Another method, shown in Plate I, fig. 2, consists in 

 preparing the stock as in saddle grafting; an incision is then made in 

 the thick part of a branch of the variet} 1 - to be propagated, and this 

 is fitted over the wedge-shaped top of the stock. The percentage of 

 successful unions by these devices is said to be sometimes quite high 

 compared with more rational methods, but the unions are never as 

 satisfactory as could be desired. The young trees have to be sup- 

 ported by tying- them to stout sticks, as there is danger of their being 

 snapped off at the union by windstorms. 



Grafting by approach or inarching has hitherto been the principal 

 method of grafting in Florida and elsewhere in America, but for the 

 reasons indicated above very little progress has been made in increas- 

 ing the supply of first-class varieties. 



PROPAGATING TESTS AT THE DEPARTMENT. 



Numerous budding and grafting tests have been conducted in the 

 greenhouses of the Department of Agriculture, beginning in the latter 

 part of 1901 and continuing through the following summer. The 

 trials were not as extensive as could be wished, owing to lack of good 

 material. In spite of this drawback the results were not without 

 value, and it is doubtful whether they would have been different had 

 the trials been on a much larger scale. The experiments were 



