1862 



TROPICAL FRUITS 



The fact is that tropical fruits with but few exceptions, 

 have until very recently been almost exclusively grown 

 from seed, with the natural result that variety in the 

 quality, form, size, and color of the fruit is the univer- 

 sal rule; and although there are seedling strains of well- 

 marked types, buyers kiiuw tliat no rrliaiire i-aii in the 

 main be placed u)pon ^irnnn- i rm;- ..| inni-nn .iiKility 

 and flavor. In tlj.' .:,., .,i i ■ iiuit 



raised in some distil' I- I- ilnTS 



the produce is of a l"\\ !■ i i^i' umI ■ - l h i. i .lis- 



TROPICAL FRUITS 



years. The Julie, Divine, No. 11 Martin, Malda, Gordon, 

 Peters, Pere Louis, and Mango d'Or are varieties which 

 are worthy of the table of the richest, and would be well 

 suited for extensive cultivation for purposes of export. 

 The people are slow to recognize the value of the art of 

 budding and grafting, but education in this direction is 

 rapidly extending under the aiis[M.M s nl ihe Depart- 

 ments of Agriculture and Eilm-.u i.m in iIm Wist Indies. 



Many fniits practically unkTi.i\> n in nmiln in latitudes 

 are readily available here in mm.iII ,| iiin -, but insuf- 

 ficient to maintain a payiiiir i\|M,ti ii^mIi . If iliey were 

 grown in larger quantiiv ami m nnilinm .|nality, there 

 is no serious obstacle ti' i ii. n l.rii,^- i , ^nlir l\ placed upon 

 the northern market. Tin >\ ^u ni ui iraii>j>.>i tation now 

 in use is not thoroughly clliricnl, but wnuUl soon adapt 

 itself to the circumstances of a profitable trade. 



The success of the banana as an export fruit has long 

 been a recognized fact; and the trade is yearly increas- 

 ing. In this case the propagation is carried on by suck- 

 ers, and there is no variation in the quality of the pro- 

 duce the market always gets the same quality, hence 



the 



if ill 



fiuits IS the Mango 



nu n[ nit )i il Ituil ii irmch scattered and 



I \ I n I I Hi iliii, 1 In with the subiect 



1 iin| II lilt ti 1] 1 il tiuiis ire detailed in the 



I 111 II I il \ ilui III till tollowing list (see the 



nil I III ihis C>i-lopedii) 



I \i 1 I I 1 1 -^ 1)1 THE West Indies and Central 



Banana, Musa species Figs 187-8 



C ocoanut, Cocos ntictfera Figs 506-7, 1497 



Pmeuii.li l,i»,»,s s«/,M,s Fus KT 1810-11 



fit for the table of a king but at the same time there 

 aie fiuits grown whuh the poorest beggar would lefuse 

 The vaiiet\ is almost endless and little dependence can 



4(i9 



tance to prevent their being leguKrly placed upon the 

 markets of Europe and America. All that is needed is 

 to .select fine strains, known both for their keeping 

 qualities and good flavor, and to grow them in quanti- 

 ties that would pay. The mango, as a rule, takes many 

 years to establish if grown from seed; but if grafted 

 plants are cultivated, fruit is obtained in four or five 



19 Gemp, Ji . i i ( j,ij i 1 i^ IJbb 



Of this list probably not more than half the number 



are cultivated in selected varieties and some are meie 



wayside fruits, as the guava genip and cashew The 



banana, cocoanut and pineapple aie largelj exported 



The mango is capvble of being grown to an\ extent tor 



export to temper ite climates The mant,osteen is a 



fnnt the cultn ition of whuh should be largely ex 



t II I I 1 1 1 lill 1 n _riiwn from the finest selected 



III ,li I t t ti I I il tniits It is 



I I II II 1 1 H II \\ Il n lull a West 



I 11 ii\ I li I 11 1 1 I 1 il IS a fruit 



III 111 \i II will 11 111 Hull It IS what should 



111 I lUi a I s il 111 fi Hit and is eati n w ith pi pper and salt 



In the East it is often served with sheriy and sugar as 



fruit at dessert. 



The anonas, Nos. 8, 9 and 10, are good additions to 

 the dessert when well grown from selected kinds. The 

 last, or sour-sop, is particularly well suited for fiavor- 

 ing ices, it being considered by many as the best of all 

 the fruit flavors for this purpose. It could be easily 



