31 



true. The varieties are commonly classified as "long," 

 "half long" and "round,". The "long," or Mexican type, 

 is the best in flavor and is a hermaphrodite. The weight 

 of the papaya fruit varies enormously; in some cases, 

 the fruits weigh as much as eighteen pounds. The. tree, 

 when properly cared for and fertilized, yields a heavy 

 crop of fruit. There is an excellent local market for 

 the varieties of best flavor. If attention were given to 

 the shipping properties of the papaya, it would be an 

 ■easy matter'to develop a variety, which could be success- 

 fully distributed on the Coast. At present the average 

 papaya will hold its texture for only about eight days 

 after picking. On many of the ranches, and in gardens, 

 papayas of poor flavor, and large size, are raised as pig 

 feed. 



FLOWERS. 



The mainland visitor, on first coming to Hawaii, will 

 perhaps be impressed by the relative scarcity of herba- 

 ceous flowers. Nearly all of our trees and shrubs bear 

 ornamental or beautiful flowers and we have depended 

 upon those for ornamentation, rather than upon delicate 

 annuals and herbaceous perennials. Nevertheless, carna- 

 tions, asters and violets are in bloom at all seasons of 

 the year; and these constitute the chief herbaceous or- 

 namental flowers which are grown on a commercial scale. 

 Excellent roses could be produced here if it were not for 

 the Japanese beetle and mealy-bugs. Until these are more 

 effectively controlled by parasites, or otherwise, it will 

 remain difficult to produce roses without having the 

 leaves eaten off or distorted. There are innumerable 

 shrubby or arboreal ornamentals, the mere list of which 

 would be too long in this connection. Some of the most 

 striking are poinciana, golden shower, hibiscus and poin- 

 settia. There are a large number of native species of 

 hibiscus, and these have been hybridized and otherwise 

 manipulated, until we have 75 or more varieties, which 

 produce an exceptionally beautiful flowering hedge. 



There is constant demand for seed, cuttings and young 

 plants for ornamental purposes; and strangely enough, 

 no commercial nursery has been established in the Terri- 

 tory. There should be such an institution; and for the 

 right man, the opening is very promising from a business 

 standpoint. 



