776 



failure of the sapote to thrive in Florida need not exclude 

 the green sapote, and a trial planting will be in order. 

 We shall send some seeds by mail and keep others with us. 

 They are like those of the true sapote, but smaller and 

 in some varieties much shorter, for the fruits of the green 

 sapote run through the same series of varietal forms as 

 those of the sapodilla. The quality of the flesh is dis- 

 tinctly superior to that of the true sapote, and much more 

 likely to please the American palate. Anybody who likes 

 papayas or Japanese persimmons might be expected to think 

 favorably of the green sapote, for it comes distinctly into 

 the same class of sweetish smooth-textured pulpy fruits. 

 There is no astringency or unpleasant aftertaste whatever, 

 so that one of the curing difficulties of the persimmon 

 would be encountered. On the outside the fruits are a 

 pleasing yellowish green color, more or less russeted at 

 either end. The flesh inside is yellow, but with a reddish 

 or brownish tinge, not as yellow as some of the Japanese 

 persimmons, nor as dark as others. 



"At present we are busy with the pacaya palms which are 

 grown here in great abundance, so that any amount of seed 

 could be obtained. Some of the palms have four, five, or 

 even six pacayas, as the edible male inflorescences are 

 called, so that we did not over-estimate the amount of the 

 fruit that might be produced in a successful planting. I 

 feel confident that the palms would grow very well under 

 hot house conditions such as Goar and Reasoner have, and 

 would suggest that a planting be made on that basis at 

 Miami, with the idea of leaving some of the palms to grow 

 to maturity. They attain a height of 12 to 15 feet but 

 fruit much younger, probably in the third or fourth year. 



"I might add that the roxtul or whatever it is to be 

 called should have a chance in California as well as in 

 Florida. Its climatic requirements should be much the same 

 as those of the avocado. It is a much less tropical 

 species than that of the true sapote." 



