MANGIFERA 



MANGIFERA 



1987 



often produce a second crop of flowers if the first is 

 destroyed. Trees in Cuba have even been known to 

 flower four times; on the other hand, some mangoes 

 bloom only once in a season. Spraying with bordeaux 

 mixture, made in the proportion of five pounds of 

 copper sulfate and five pounds of unslaked lime to 

 fifty gallons of water, is often employed to prevent 

 the blighting of the flowers, several applications being 

 given while the trees are in bloom, commencing with 

 the appearance of the first flower-buds. It is also 

 well to spray occasionally during the time the fruits 

 are developing, to prevent infection which may lead 

 to rapid decay when the fruits are picked and snipped 

 to market. 



Regions where the annual precipitation is from 30 to 

 50 inches, and where a very small proportion of this 

 occurs during the flowering season, seem to be ideal 

 for the mango. Even in such regions, however, difficulty 

 is often experienced in forcing some varieties to bloom, 

 the mango showing a marked tendency toward irregu- 

 larity in its fruiting habits. In tropical countries, 

 various methods have been devised to encourage the 

 formation of flower-buds and setting of fruits, such as 

 partly girdling the trunk, hacking the trunk, severe 

 root-pruning, placing common salt around the tree, 

 and smoking the tree during the blooming period by 

 keeping a smudge burning under its widespreading 

 branches. Most of these methods are out of harmony 

 with modern horticultural practice, and of doubtful 

 advisability, but it appears that something should be 

 done in autumn to check vegetative growth and 

 encourage the formation of flower-buds. Withholding 

 all fertilizers at this season and moderate pruning of 

 the roots may be suggested as of possible value. 



In planting out young budded trees in orchard form, 

 they should be set at least 30 to 35 feet apart, in holes 

 prepared in advance. Late spring April and May 

 is considered the best time for planting in southern 

 Florida. During the first few years well-rotted stable- 

 manure or sheep-manure can be used to encourage 

 growth, but it should not be applied in large quanti- 

 ties, and after the trees reach bearing age the greatest 

 care is necessary in applying fertilizers. For Cuban soils 

 a fertilizer containing 3 per cent nitrogen, 10 per cent 

 phosphoric acid, and 10 per cent potash has been 

 recommended, fifteen to twenty-five pounds a year 

 being given to mature trees. No fertilizers should be 

 applied in fall or winter or during the time the trees 

 are in flower. Little pruning is usually given the mango, 

 though the trees may require some attention while 

 young to encourage the formation of a symmetrical, 

 well-branched head, which should not, however, be too 

 dense. Grafted trees are usually spreading in form, 

 and should be encouraged to remain so, especially in 

 regions subject to occasional hurricanes. 



Insect pests of the mango. 



Of the insect pests attacking the mango, the fruit- 

 flies (Trypetidae) rank first in importance. Belonging 

 to this family are the Mediterranean fruit-fly (Ceratitis 

 capitata) which has so adversely affected the fruit- 

 growing interests of Hawaii, the Queensland fruit-fly 

 (Dacus tryoni), the mango fruit-fly (Dacusferrugineiis), 

 the Mexican fruit-fly (Anastrepha ludens), which has 

 become troublesome in Porto Rico. The females of 

 these flies insert their eggs into the flesh of the fruit 

 by means of a most efficient ovipositor, and the larvae 

 infest the fruit, rendering it unfit for human consump- 

 tion, and in cases leading to premature ripening and 

 decay. Control is difficult; the sweetened arsenical 

 sprays have met with varied success, and natural con- 

 trol by parasites is now receiving attention. In India, 

 the mango hopper (various species of Idiocerus) and the 

 mango weevil (Cryptorhynchus mangifera?), which latter 

 has now been reported as doing considerable damage in 

 Hawaii, are of importance as pests. Cleanliness in the 



grove by way of periodically gathering drops will pre- 

 vent pupation of the fruit-flies and weevil and consid- 

 erably reduce then 1 numbers. In Florida^ red-spider 

 and thrips are responsible for extensive injury to foli- 

 age, leading to disturbances of the general health of the 

 tree; but contact sprays, e. g., lime-sulfur or nicotine, 

 properly applied, will effect complete eradication. 

 Numerous scale insects have become injurious in cer- 

 tain localities and may be controlled by the use of 



^EQsene emulsion, but the desirability of natural 

 enernielTSrjch as the coccinelid beetles being present in 

 the orchard must not be forgotten. A large bark-boring 

 beetle (Plocsederus ruficornis) has been responsible for 

 much damage to trees in the Philippines. 



The mango crop. 



The age at which budded or grafted mango trees 

 will come into bearing depends upon the variety and 

 upon several other factors, but they cannot as a rule 

 be expected to produce fruit under three or four years 

 from the tune of planting, and in the case of some varie- 

 ties this time is considerably extended. As to yield, 

 some of the smaller-fruited varieties will produce several 

 thousand mangoes in a single crop, when the tree is of 

 mature size, while Mulgoba and other large mangoes 

 are doing well when they produce a few hundred. 

 Experience has been that the crop varies greatly in 

 different seasons, and it has been impossible to fix a 

 certain quantity as the average yield of any one variety. 

 So much is dependent upon the weather at the time of 

 flowering, with the consequent setting or dropping of 

 flowers, that irregularities hi bearing are all too com- 

 mon. Some mangoes, however, such as Cambodiana 

 and Sandersha, have shown themselves much more 

 dependable in this regard than others, and are especially 

 valuable for this reason. 



The fruit is picked when fully mature, but before it 

 has commenced to soften on the tree. If allowed to 

 remain on the tree too long, it is sometimes found that 

 the flesh immediately surrounding the seed is unpleas- 

 ant to the taste and of a peculiar gelatinous consist- 

 ency. Shears should be used for picking, leaving a 

 short section of the stem attached to the base of the 

 fruit; this will dry up and fall off in a few days, but if 

 the fruit is pulled from the tree the sap exudes freely 

 from the stem end, disfiguring the surface. 



The usual carrier used for mangoes in Florida is the 

 tomato-crate, holding six small baskets. Each basket 

 will contain six mangoes of good size, making thirty- 

 six to the crate. The individual fruits are wrapped in 

 tissue paper before packing, and excelsior is used above 

 and below them as a cushion. Mangoes are shipped 

 from south Florida to New York, Boston and Chicago, 

 without difficulty, nearly always arriving in good con- 

 dition if they were picked at the proper time. In recent 

 years, the south Florida growers have received $9 a crate 

 for Mulgobas. The season during which they are shipped 

 from Florida extends from late July until the latter part 

 of August. Some varieties begin to ripen early in July, 

 while the later ones, such as Sandersha, extend the 

 season until the end of September. 



Propagation of mangoes. 



The simplest vegetative method, and the one 

 extensively used in India, is that known as inarching 

 or grafting by approach. While this is the most certain 

 of all methods, it is too slow and laborious to meet 

 the demands of present-day nurserymen, when more 

 expeditious means can be found. Consequently budding 

 is rapidly taking the place of inarching in this country, 

 and though requiring considerably more skill it has 

 proven entirely practicable for nursery work. 



Inarching is performed between a large tree of the 

 variety which it is desired to perpetuate and young 

 seedlings grown in pots or boxes. The seedlings are 

 ready for inarching when ten months to a year old; 



