Vegetables with Edible Fruits 175 



flesh is firmer than that of the eggplant or squash, and is 

 usually cooked or fried, or stewed with sugar. The 

 chayote and the eggplant are the two green vegetables that 

 are nearly always obtainable in the West Indies. From 

 its perennial nature, this plant seems especially suited to 

 the tropics, and to those parts of the subtropics where 

 frosts are quite or nearly absent. It is one of the Cu- 

 curbitacese; the botanical name is Sechium edule. It is 

 native to tropical America. The fruit differs from all 

 the squash and melon tribes in having but a single seed, 

 and this is very large. (See Plate IX.) 



The chayote is indispensable in the tropical vegetable 

 garden; since, once planted, it requires no further care, 

 and for several years will bear a heavy crop. It is grown 

 for the market in several subtropical countries. Each 

 fruit contains but one large seed, and the whole fruit is 

 always planted in the soil, on its side and partly covered. 

 The fruits may be planted near a trellis or fence, up 

 which the vines can climb. They may be set out 10 

 or more feet apart. The plants begin to bear in three or 

 four months. The young shoots make a good green vege- 

 table, and the stems and leaves have been used for fodder. 

 The white ivory-looking varieties have the best appearance 

 in the market, though the green kinds are most frequently 

 grown for domestic use. This vegetable stands shipping 

 remarkably well, and is found more or less regularly in the 

 New Orleans market. It is usually picked for home con- 

 sumption before it is quite ripe. 



In South Florida, where the climatic conditions appear 

 to be favorable, the chayote is usually killed by the downy 

 mildew before maturing a crop. By giving special atten- 



