Popenoe and Pachano: The Capulin 



59 



THE CAPULIN, AS USUALLY SEEN IN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA 



Large fruited forms of the capulin are rare in Mexico and Guatemala. The fruits shown 

 above, natural size, are typical of the species as grown in those countries; while larger and better 

 than fruits of the wild Primus serotina, or choke cherry of the United States, they are greatly 

 inferior to some of the best South American varieties. The flowers of the capulin are white, 

 and deliciously fragrant : those shown above, together with fruits from the same tree, were photo- 

 graphed at Antigua, Guatemala. (Fig. 5.) 



that it is "light, strong, rather hard, 

 close, straight-grained, with a satiny 

 surface, light brown or red, with thin 

 yellow sapwood of 10 to 12 layers 

 of annual growth ; largely used in 

 cabinet-making and the interior finish 

 of houses." In Ecuador and other 

 parts of tropical America, it is much 

 used for making furniture. It has 

 been extensively employed, also, for 

 railway ties, but in recent years has 

 been largely replaced by eucalyptus 

 for this purpose. 



CLIMATE AND SOIL 



While we know that Prunus serotina, 

 as a wild plant, extends as far north- 



ward as Nova Scotia, we have, as yet, 

 no proof that the cultivated form of 

 this species, which we term capulin, will 

 prove to be sufficiently hardy for 

 cultivation even in the central United 

 States. It is a fruit which has been 

 developed on the cool plateaus of 

 tropical America, where temperatures 

 lower than 15 or 20 degrees above zero 

 Fahrenheit are never experienced. A 

 careful trial will be required to demon- 

 strate just how much cold the choice 

 horticultural forms of this species can 

 withstand without injury. At present, 

 we would not feel safe in recommend- 

 ing them for any sections of the 

 United States except the Pacific 



