Remarks on the Culture of Exotic Vegetables. 295 



green fruit is much esteemed for pickling 1 , and is also used in 

 curries. The ripe fruit is considered depurative, and is ex- 

 cellent eating-. The kernels are vermifuge. There are many 

 varieties of this fruit ; and in this respect the same attention 

 appears to be paid to their culture in India, as the afjple 

 receives in Europe. 



Two varieties of this tree are in the garden of Michael van 

 Breda, Esq. (with many other valuable and interesting exotic 

 productions), one of these may be considered as the original 

 uncultivated variety, which seldom produces fruit until it has 

 attained a large growth; the other is one of the cultivated 

 kinds, produces fruit at an early period, aud, with some at- 

 tention, might become interesting to this colony. 



To raise stocks of this tree, the seeds, from thoroughly ripe 

 fruit, should be planted soon after they are divested of the 

 pulp i; it being one of those seeds which do not retain their 

 vegetative powers for any considerable length of time. It 

 may also be increased by layers and by cuttings. This latter 

 method requiring particular care and attention, and being 1 

 new to the colony, but necessary in practice for the increase 

 of many plants propagated by cuttings, I shall offer suf- 

 ficient instructions for the operation. 



Pots, of unglazed earth, being well drained at the bottoms 

 . with broken potsherds or rough pebbles, should be filled to 

 within half an inch of the tops, with pure sand (that washed 

 from the mountains to be preferred), and must be" well soaked 

 with water to settle the sand firmly in the pots. The cuttings 

 are to be prepared from the ends of the shoots, having three 

 joints to each. The leaves are to be carefully cut from the 

 two lower joints, and the lower part of the cutting is to be 

 cut off transversely, immediately below the bottom joint. 

 The leaves are to be left on the upper joint, but if they are 

 of an inconvenient length, they may be shortened. The 

 cuttings may now be planted by surall dibbers in the pots; 

 and, if the lower part of the cuttings should rest upon the 

 stones, &c. in the bottoms, it will encourage their striking 

 root. The two lower joints, from which the leaves were 

 taken, should be covered with the sand. Immediately after 

 planting, they should be watered,' to settle the sand to the 

 cuttings. Glasses, of a convenient size; so as to leave only 

 half an inch clear between their circumference and the rim of 

 the pot, must be firmly pressed down over the cuttings. The 

 pots must then be plunged to their rims in decayed tanner's 

 bark, in a warm situation. They must be sheltered from the! 

 sun's rays ; or, if attendance in this respect may be con- 

 sidered too troublesome, the inside of the glasses may be 

 moistened with water, and sprinkled with dry sand; enough 

 of which will adhere to the glasses to shade the cuttings. 



