PAPAYA 



PAPAYA 



2461 



sexes, there are marked differences in the size, shape 

 and quality of the fruits produced by different seedlings 

 of the typical dio3cious form, and the papayas of cer- 

 tain regions in the tropics are uniformly superior to 

 those of other regions. In Bahia, Brazil, there are two 

 distinct types, one with small nearly spherical fruits 

 not over 6 inches in diameter, and a very superior 

 type called "mamao da India" which produces fruits 18 

 inches long, cylindrical in form, and of excellent flavor. 

 With the recent discovery of a method of grafting the 

 papaya, which is fully described under Carica (page 663; 

 cf. also Circ. No. 119, Bur. PI. Ind., U. S. Dept. Agric. 

 1913), the propagation of superior seedlings has been 

 made possible. In addition, much can be done to im- 

 prove the quality of the fruit through the selection of 

 seed, but the number of males which arise is usually much 

 greater than is necessary to furnish pollen for the female 

 trees. Through vegetative propagation, it is possible to 

 eliminate all unnecessary males and propagate only a 

 sufficient number to furnish the required pollen not 

 more than one in ten. 



The fruit is commonly spherical or cylindrical in 

 form, round or obscurely five-angled in transverse 

 section, from 3 up to 20 or more inches in length, some- 

 times weighing twenty pounds or over. In general 

 character it strongly resembles a melon; the skin is thin, 

 smooth on the exterior, orange-yellow to deep orange 

 in color, while the flesh, which is concolorous with the 

 skin, is from 1 to 2 inches thick, and incloses a large 

 sometimes five-angled cavity, to the walls of which 

 are attached the numerous round wrinkled and black- 

 ish seeds, the size of small peas, inclosed by a thin 

 gelatinous aril. 



The flavor is rather sweet, with a slight musky twang 

 which is sometimes objectionable to the novice, and 

 which varies greatly in amount; the best types are of a 

 bland agreeable taste which is almost sure to be 

 relished, and which makes the papaya one of the most 

 popular breakfast fruits in many tropical countries. In 

 Brazil the flavor is thought to be unproved if the fruit 

 is lightly scored when taken from the tree, and then 

 allowed to stand for a day so that the milky juice may 

 run out. While most commonly used, perhaps, as a 

 breakfast fruit, like the muskmelon in northern coun- 

 tries, the papaya can be prepared in numerous ways. 

 In Brazil it is served as a dessert, sliced, with the addi- 

 tion of a little sugar and whipped cream. As a salad, 

 in combination with lettuce, it is excellent. As a crystal- 

 lized fruit it is good, but it has not very much charac- 

 ter. When green it is sometimes boiled and served as a 

 vegetable, much as summer squash is in the North. It 

 can also be made into pickles, preserves, jellies, pies, 

 and sherbets. When used as a breakfast fruit it is cut 

 in halves longitudinally, and after the seeds are 

 removed, served with the addition of lemon juice, salt 

 and pepper, or sugar, according to taste. 



In the tropics, papayas are in season during a large 

 part of the year, and the yield is enormous, single trees 

 bearing in the course of their lifetime a hundred or more 

 of their immense fruits. In Florida the season extends 

 from December to June, with occasional fruits ripening 

 at other times. While considered a rather difficult 

 fruit to ship, especially when fully ripe, papayas have 

 been sent from Hawaii to San Francisco and marketed 

 in the cities of the Pacific coast. According to Higgins 

 and Holt, the best method of shipment is to wrap the 

 fruits separately in paper, then encase them in cylinders 

 of corrugated strawboard, and pack them in single-tier 

 crates. They should be picked when they show the 

 first signs of ripeness. Refrigeration during the voyage 

 is important. 



The fruit of the papaya, as well as all other parts of 

 the plant, contains a milky juice in which an active 

 principle known as papain is present. This enzyme, 

 which was first separated by Peckholt, greatly resem- 

 bles animal pepsin in its digestive action, and in recent 



years has become an article of commerce. Aside from 

 its value as a remedy in dyspepsia and kindred ail- 

 ments, it has very recently been utilized for the clari- 

 fication of beer. Its digestive action has long been 

 recognized in the tropics, as evidenced by the common 

 practice of the natives, who rub the juice over meat to 

 make it tender, 

 or wrap a fowl 

 in papaya leaves 

 and let it stand 

 overnight before 

 cooking it. 



The papaya 

 succeeds best in 

 regions with a 

 warm climate 

 and rich loamy 

 but well-drained 

 soil. In south 

 Florida it ap- 

 pears to prefer 

 the richer ham- 

 mock soils to 

 those of pine- 

 lands, but may 

 be very success- 

 fully grown on 

 the latter with 

 proper fertiliz- 

 ing. On the 

 Florida Keys, 

 the plant has be- 

 come thoroughly 

 naturalized, and 



2755. Fruit of papaya. ( X H) 



springs up wher- 

 ever a clearing is made, the seeds being scattered by 

 birds and other agencies. It withstands but little 

 frost, although it is occasionally possible to fruit it 

 toward the northern part of the state when a mild 

 winter allows it to reach its second summer without 

 injury. In California, the papaya has never been 

 very successful, probably because the nights are 

 too cool to mature the fruit perfectly. It has been 

 noticed in the tropics that fruit ripened in cool weather 

 is poor and somewhat squash-like in flavor. The best 

 locations in southern California are the protected foot- 

 hill regions, where the ground is sloping and the soil 

 well drained, and where the heat during the summer 

 months is more intense than on the seacoast. An old 

 tree at Hollywood, Los Angeles, bore fruit for several 

 years, but finally succumbed to the cold rains of winter, 

 which often cause the plants to rot off at the base, 

 especially if the drainage is the least bit defective. 



In Hawaii the papaya is said to succeed on almost 

 any soil, provided it is well drained. As soon as the 

 plants are well started they like plenty of moisture, and 

 are rank feeders. On the shallow soils of south Florida, 

 organic nitrogen should be abundantly supplied. 



The papaya is easily grown from seed, which in 

 Florida should be planted as early as possible, prefera- 

 bly in January, in order to have the plants in fruit by 

 the following winter. If seeds are washed and dried 

 after removal from the fruit, and stored in glass bottles, 

 they will retain their viability for several years. A 

 light sandy loam is a good medium for germination, 

 and the seeds should be sown rather thickly about ^ 

 inch deep. They may be potted off when they have 

 made their third leaves, and from pots later set out in 

 the ground. As the stems of young plants are very suc- 

 culent, care should be taken to avoid damping-off. 



For a permanent orchard, the plants should be set not 

 less than 10 feet apart. The papaya is short-lived, and 

 will not usually remain in profitable bearing more than 

 two to four years. That it is of extremely simple culture 

 is proved by the ease with which it becomes naturalized 

 in tropical regions, and the thriftiness of the wild plants. 



