63 



MISCELLANEOUS HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 



There continue to be inquiries regardiiii;' the eultivtitioii of viinilla. 

 There are in the i.shmds one or two established plantations of vanilla, 

 the best known heing that of Mr. Edwards on Hawaii. A brief 

 account of the culture and curing of vanilla has been given in Press 

 liulletin No. G of the station. 



The dried fruit of the litchi (see PI. Ill) is becoming more exten- 

 sivel}' known in the markets of the United States, and the successful 

 efforts to grow the trees in Hawaii indicate the possible success of 

 more extensive plantings. The dried fruits from China sell in the 

 Washington market for about 5(» cents a })ox, containing about 1 (juart, 

 and the demand for the very limited production in Hawaii is such that 

 the price is very dear. 



Attempts are being made b}- the station in cooperation with the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to 

 introduce more widely the mangosteen in Hawaii. There are already 

 a few trees of this delicious fruit (see IM. IV, tig. 1) growing in the 

 islands and etfo.rts are being made to propagate others. The tree is 

 of slow growth, and the proper conditions for culture are yet to be 

 ascertained. The successful germination of locally grown seed is 

 reported. 



Another fruit that merits attention is the Wi fruit {Spondias dulcis). 

 (See PI. IV, tig. 2.) It is also known as Tahiti apple. It is produced 

 on a tree that attains a height of 5(> feet. The fruit is a golden yellow 

 and resembles a pineapple in flavor. It is a native of the South Sea 

 Islands and is now rather widely distril)uted throughout the Tropics. 



A variet}' of papaias received from Porto Rico Experiment Station 

 as the best form to be found in that island has also proved successful 

 here. Though it has not under our conditions proved itself equal in 

 tlavor to some varieties w^hich have been longer in cultivation here, it 

 is worthy of a place in cultiv^ation and wnll be a valuable addition to 

 the list of forms in Hawaii. It seems to have a more active aperient 

 quality than the local papaias. 



Centrosema plumeri promises to be a very successful green manur- 

 ing crop. These seeds also were received from the Porto Rico Station 

 and have been multiplied here. The plants make a very rapid growth 

 after they get well started and cover the land with a dense mass of 

 foliage which soon begins to decay from below but increases above. 



The wood-oil nuts which were received from the Section of Seed 

 and Plant Introduction and Distribution, U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture, consisted of two lots — one in the hulls and the other without 

 hulls. The latter were nearh' a total failure, only four or five seeds 

 germinating. The other lot received in the hulls were in good con- 

 dition, and a very large percentage have made a good start. 



