MARKET. 35 



b}^ eoinhiiiini,^ their crops and placinjf the gradinjr, packing, and ship- 

 ping of the fruit in the hands of one person. The industry misrht 

 thus 1)6 successfully launched without serious risk to individual 

 planters. 



MARKET. 



Although a local market already exists in Porto Rico, the only out- 

 look for making the growing of mangoes protital)le is in a trade with 

 the temperate regions. Such a trade can hardly l)e said to exist in 

 this country, for. although small lots are frequently sent North and 

 are disposed of at from 5 to It) cents apiec<>, they have been sold 

 merely as novelties; for the few larger shipments that have been 

 made there was no sufficient demand, and to avoid total loss prices 

 had to be lowered so that Porto Kican mangoes ha\e been sold in 

 Washington at the rate of 2 for 5 cents. 



^^'hat can be done with mangoes of the best quality in this country 

 is still a matter of conjecture; but in view of the unanimously favor- 

 able opinion of those who have tasted good varieties, it w'ould seem 

 that it is merely a ([uestion of Ix'ing able to })roduce good fruit and to 

 ship it in good condition. 



The history of. the mango in Florida atiords some very encouraging 

 data regarding profits to be derived from mango culture. The follow- 

 ing, quoted from Bulletin No. I, Division of Pomology, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, refers to trees growing in the neigh})orhood of 

 Tampa Bay: 



One grower on the point sold, fntin eleven trees in the fourth year from the seed, 

 fruit whii;h brout;ht him $219. In their sixth year he shipped bushels to various 

 places, realizing at Chicago 60 cents per dozen, and the fruit shipping well. Another 

 dealer received from the produce of one of his bearing trees $66 in its sixth year. 



These mangoes were probably of inferior varieties, as Mr. William 

 A. Taylor states " that prior to 1889 none but seedling mango trees 

 were grown in Florida. On the other hand, the quantities were so 

 small that the fruit was probablv sold as a novelty and the profits 

 realized give little idea of how larger and continued shipments would 

 fare. 



In England the trade is much farther advanced. There has been a 

 small trade between Jamaica and England for a number of years. The 

 following, copied from the Bulletin of the Botanical Department of 

 Jamaica, No. 39, January, 1893, page 23, is a statement of the number 

 and value of mangoes exported during the years 1887 to 1892, to which 

 is added the approximate price per 100. 



« Yearbook, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1901, p. 390. 



