JUNE 1. 1915 



473 



Roebiu'k & Co., and cost only $3.40. The 

 chickens take it a little more readily in this 

 shape — especially the smaller ones. The 

 ground roots can be easily chojiped up with 

 middliuiis so as to make a mash. 



"JABOTI CABA," A NEW SEMI-THOPICAL FRUIT 

 FROM BRAZIL. 



Last fall one of our California friends 

 wrote me about a wonderful new fruit that 

 they were just then introducing in Califor- 

 nia. He said the price then was pretty 

 hijrh, but it promised to be something of 

 great value. Not long afterward 1 saw a 

 description and photograph of the tree in 

 an issue of the Technical World. Its pe- 

 culiarity that distinguished it from all the 

 r&st of the trees of the world is that the 

 fruit, instead of being borne on the end of 

 the branches, is on the trunk and branches 

 like a cluster of grapes. The tree grows to 

 a height of forty feet or more, and com- 

 mences to bear when about the size of a 

 common currant bush. In order to get in- 

 formation at first hand I wrote to the De- 

 partment of Agi'iculture, Washington. In 

 response they sent me two little trees. Be- 

 low is the printed matter that we copy from 

 the label attached. 



Myrcia^ia Caulifiora.. Jaboti caba. — From Rio de 

 Janeiro, Brazil. Collected by Dorsett, Shamel, and 

 Popenoe. Remarkable fruit-tree 40 feet high. Pop- 

 ular among Brazilians. Maroon-purple, thick-skin- 

 ned fruits resembling grapes with delicious, vinous, 

 white pulp, borne on trunk, branches, and twigs in 

 such niunl ers as at times almost to conceal them. 

 May stand light frosts. 



On the opposite side of the label it reads 

 as follows : 



This plant is entrusted to your care for experi- 

 mental purposes. The Department wishes your as- 

 sistance in determining its possible value. 



You may be sure I regard these two little 

 trees as a prize. They were sent by mail 

 with soil attached like a potted plant. For 

 quite a time they did not seem to make any 

 growth, and I began to be worried about 

 them. Finally some tinj- pinkish leaves ap- 

 peared on the under side of the branches, 

 clear out of sight, and they grew pretty 

 well until we had a prolonged drouth for 

 something like a month. When I left my 

 Florida garden, about May 1, I feared they 

 would die in spite of the careful watering 

 I was giving them. Watering is all right if 

 apj)lied judiciously; but it does not take the 

 place, especially in the South, of cloudy 

 weather and gentle rains to make things 

 grow. You may imagine how it rejoiced 

 my heart when I got the following letter 

 from our friend Wesley : 



Mr. Root: — We had a fine lain on the 9th of May. 

 It rained all day and night, and since then it has 



been raining; the ground is good and wet, and in 

 fine condition. 



The jaboti caba is just as pretty as can be, and 

 ju.st as green as grass. They are beautiful. 



I've got a job with Mr. Seller in the toraato-field. 

 The chi<'kens, ducks, and everything are getting 

 along finely. The cactus that you paid $1.75 for has 

 two buds, and the other has from four to five leaves. 



Manatee, Pla., May 14. Wesley Welch. 



Later. — I have just received a letter, dat- 

 ed May 17, from my near neighbor, M. C. 

 L. Harrison, who says, " The feterita is 

 heading, and looks fine." 



ANOTHER GREAT AND GOOD MAN GONE. 



We make two clippings from the Rural 

 New-Yorker, just at hand, as below : 



DjO.ATH 01' PROF. VAN DKMAN. 



Professor Henry E. Van Deman, well known to 

 re.tders of lite Rural New Yorker as a frequent and 

 valued i-07itributor, died at his home, Washington, 

 D. C, April 28. He was born at Concord, Ohio, 

 his early life being spent upon his father's farm, 

 where he gained his first knowledge of fruit-grow- 

 ing, both his father and grandfather being practical 

 orchardists. Professor Van Deman excelled as a 

 judge and student of varieties. He knew fruit as 

 few other men do. What the opinion of a justice 

 of the Supreme Court meant at law, a decision by 

 Van Deman meant at a fruit show. 



Later. — We clip the following from the 

 Nut-grower for May in regard to Professor 

 Van Deman : 



Professor Van Deman was a native of Ohio. He 

 served through the civil war with the volunteer 

 troops of that state. His services as a judge in fruit 

 exhibitions were greatly in demand, and his work 

 along this line covered nearly every state in the 

 Union. He served for a number of years as Chief 

 of the Division of Pomology. 



For many years past, when reading an 

 article in regard to the progress of fruit, 

 hoiticulture, etc., I have been in the habit 

 of looking to see if I could find who the 

 writer was, and what was his authority. 

 Whenever I have found the name of H. E. 

 Van Deman I have always felt sure the 

 article was sound and reliable, and no 

 doubt others have felt the same way. I 

 have not been able to learn as yet what his 

 age was when death stopped his work; but 

 I think he must have been somewhere in the 

 70's. 



About a year ago I read with great inter- 

 est an article in the Rural New-Yorker from 

 Prof. V^an Deman in regard to the possibil- 

 ities of the papaya. Among other things I 

 think it stated that some specimens had 

 borne fruit inside of a year from the time 

 the seed was planted. I cut out the article 

 and submitted it to my good friend Reason- 

 er, of Oneco, Florida. He replied that there 

 was no question but that the statements 

 were exactly true, coming from such good 

 authority; and I have the promise of some 

 "of the improved varieties as soon as they 

 can be had. Tlie trouble with the papaya 



