THE MANGOSTEEN. 



eat enough of it, so delicious is its fragrance and agreeable its sweetness ; and it is be 

 lieved that the sick, when appetite or the power of eating is wholly gone, are nevertheless 

 delighted with this fruit ; or at least if they will not take to Mangosteens their case is 

 indeed hopeless." 



The question still to be considered is whether — the ducal garden at Syon having 

 proved equal to the ripening this fruit, and its excellent quality having been ascertained 

 beyond dispute — it is likely to engage the attention of others, and to become of impor- 

 tance as a general addition to the dessert. 



To this, we think, one answer only can be returned ; and that in the affirmative. Now 

 that the great preliminary difficulties are overcome, there should be no more reason for 

 failing in obtaining a crop of Mangosteens than of Peaches ; the difference consists in the 

 expense, which however most certainly need not exceed that of a house of Pine Apples. 

 During a period of 22 years the Dukes of Northumberland have patiently awaited the 

 result of various costly experiments instituted to determine under what conditions the 

 plant can be kept in health, well knowing that in the end it would bear its fruit ; for it is 

 as certain as any other fact in natural history, that all trees will do so when they have 

 acquired sufficient age, although the length of time demanded by Nature to produce fer- 

 tility is uncertain, and varies from species to species. In the course of these experiments 

 it has been ascertained that the conditions necessary to the Mangosteen in a domesticated 

 state are abundance of warmth, moisture, light, and above all fresh air, skilfully regu- 

 lated, as is described by Mr. John Ivison, the present gardener at Syon, at page 819 

 of our volume for 1854 ; where the manner in which fresh air, that most important of 

 all agents, is admitted is fully explained. These conditions anybody can imitate. The 

 difficulty is to obtain fruiting plants, and for these we must look either to supplies in War- 

 dian cases from Penang, or to propagation in this country by cuttings or layers. Per- 

 haps grafting on such stocks as Xantliochymus pidorius may also succeed, but it is doubtful 

 whether specimens so obtained will either thrive or "stand." Plants "on their own 

 bottom," as gardeners say, are alone to be trusted. If such could be produced, they will 

 come into bearing immediately, for that maturity of organization which is necessary to 

 the formation of fi'uit is transmitted by subdivision, along with every other quality. 



That the Syon Mangosteen tree has really attained complete vigour, and a power of 

 bearing fruit hereafter regularly, is proved by the fact that the fruits hitherto ripened 

 are perfectly organized. It is true that no seed was found in the fruit that was first gath- 

 ered ; but one lobe had a seed in the third specimen which had been examined, and 

 RcMPHirs expressly declares that in Amboyna, where it arrives at perfection, usually 

 only one lobe contains a seed, and very often no seed at all is formed. 



There is no country within reach of our shores that can produce it naturally; it must 

 always, therefore, be a tender exotic, and confined to the wealthy, as Pine Apples once 

 were. It possesses the valuable property of keeping well and travelling well. That 

 which was shown at the meeting of the Horticultural Society had been gathered several 

 days, and yet proved excellent when opened. 



We take the present opportunity of repeating that it is no small triumph to the Duke 

 of Northumberland that his Grace's garden at Syon should bo the only one in the world 

 in which Vanilla, Cloves, Nutmegs, Litchis, and Mangosteens have been brought to equal 

 perfection. We do not mean that no one has fruited Vanilla and Litchis except the 

 noble proprietor of Syon : for the first has long ago been produced in other gardens, and 

 the Litchi, ripened formerly in the forcing house of Mr. Joux Knight, of Lee Castle 

 AVhat we do say, and what wo think is a most striking illustration of what we 



