TROPICAL CLIMATE 9 



bear the year round without any evidence of a particular sea- 

 son of activity. Bananas and papayas are conspicuous ex- 

 amples of this kind. From a plantation of either bananas or 

 papayas fruit can be picked during any month of the year. In 

 fact, with papayas there are ripe fruit on the tree every day 

 the year round. Mangoes and avocados show a tendency to 

 flower and produce their fruit within a relatively restricted 

 season. By the use of early varieties, however, it is possible 

 to extend the season of these fruits over a period of six months 

 or more. 



Most tropical plants can be acclimated in subtropical coun- 

 tries. In southern Florida, for example, nearly all of the well 

 known tropical plants, with the exception of breadfruit, cacao, 

 and rubber can be grown with more or less success. Some, 

 however, cannot be acclimated even in the subtropics. This 

 is conspicuously true of such plants as cacao, which will thrive 

 only in the true Tropics near sea level, protected from the 

 wind, and favored with an abundance of rainfall. Conversely, 

 many plants from northern climates cannot be successfully ac- 

 climated in the Tropics. This is true to some extent of a large 

 percentage of the well known trees of temperate climates. 

 The oak, for example, does not appear to be able to adjust 

 itself to tropical conditions. It remains ever green, shedding a 

 few leaves occasionally, but showing an extremely poor 

 growth. There are specimens in Hawaii 20 to 25 years old 

 not higher than four or five feet. Apples and peaches behave 

 in a peculiar manner in the Tropics. These fruits are not 

 well adapted to tropical conditions and do not yield satisfactory 

 results except at higher altitudes. Near sea level the peach 

 tree may be seen at almost any time of the year with buds, 

 flowers, young peaches of all sizes, and ripe peaches at the 

 same time. There seems to be no tendency to establish a defi- 

 nite period of fruiting under tropical conditions. Similarly 

 with apples, one branch or one side of the tree may bear at 

 one season and another branch at another season, and a given 



