202 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



plants until they are fully ripe, but this is not necessary, 

 as the seed can be gathered and saved for planting as 

 soon as the fruit becomes tough and fibrous. The fruits 

 are gathered as for shipping, and taken to the packing- 

 house. Here they may be left for several days, or for a 

 week if the pile is not too large. When a considerable lot 

 is on hand, a time may be set aside for taking the seed out. 

 By examining the fruit it will be noticed that about one- 

 third of the meat may be cut away from the stem without 

 harming the seeds. After paring this away, the central 

 part is quartered with a dull knife and sliced thinly. This 

 material is put in a barrel for maceration in water, not 

 having the barrel more than two-thirds full. The barrel 

 should be set out of the hot sun, but kept in some warm 

 place. In twenty-four hours it should be stirred up 

 thoroughly, so as to have all parts mixed evenly. The 

 pomace may be left to ferment for two or three days, 

 depending upon the temperature in the meantime. A 

 number 3 sieve that will go conveniently into the inside 

 of the barrel should be secured. A half-barrel is filled 

 with water and the sieve placed in the water, but not on 

 the bottom of the half-barrel. The sieve may be held in 

 place by wires stretched across the half-barrel. The 

 seeds are dipped out of the barrel and put into the sieve, 

 working the pomace around so as to break it into small 

 pieces. Some of the pomace and the seed will go through 

 the sieve and fall to the bottom, while the larger pieces 

 will be taken out and thrown away, then a fresh lot will 

 be taken from the barrel and the work continued as before 

 until three or four inches of the material have collected 

 in the bottom of the barrel. This may be turned out into 



