TROPICAL FRUITS 



exported in ice. The akee might be exported if pre- 

 served. The part used is the large arillus attached to 

 the seed, and it is served as a relish with meat dishes. 

 The s;overnor's plum is a fruit the size of a green-gage 

 and makes tine jellies. The cashew is useful when pre- 

 served, hut is tiio tender fur export. The large seeds, 

 roasted and l>"ttli-<l tur i)rfsi-rv;ition, form one of the 

 best talili- nuts known. Tin- ;.-u.iva can only be exported 

 in the term "t th.- w. ll-kii..» n miava jelly. When a 

 good varirtv is to hantl tht- I'oniinf Cythdre is an excel- 

 lent and well-flavored table fruit. The granadilla makes 

 excellent ices, and the water lemon is much used as 

 dessert, having the appearance and flavor of a huge ripe 

 gooseberry, though generally somewhat sweeter. Meli- 

 coi'ca biJKtja, or the genip, is a children's fruit, and is 

 seldom seen at table. Like all similar fruits there has 

 practically been no selection, and a large amount of 

 variation appears. This is very prominent in the genip. 

 Some are very acid, while others are deliciously sweet. 

 This variation, as shown in seedlings, is fully sufficient 



to account for the dn 

 tropical fruits 



The citrous tribes 

 bit 



nions IS to the qualit es of 



po ible 

 When 



tlf 



iltivati' 



trees are capatle of rei 1 n i 

 aftoid le liar cr p An excellei i 

 in nian\ West In lian i Kn Is i 

 grafte 1 plants of the best kinds 



Tree i the tropics usuallj have their regular season 



of fr t "• 1 t many trees such as the n ango and the 



t 1 fr It out of season or m the eoole t 



Trees which fruit at such a season 



t inferior kind 



the tiopics choose this sea on for 



1 1 I I I e 1 e ei have tl e 



1 I 1 1 f 



oral ij 1 le tiom i Eil 



H Hart 



Another View oS Tropical Fruits - The fruits most 



r n 1 t 1 p\i ort fiom the West In he are 1 ananas 



t It or i_on elo pineai pies and cocoa 



1 ire prized but not exported to any 



grape star apples naseberr\ or 



pear granadilla cherimoja sweet 



1 etween '0 an 1 30 different va 

 il o It half as many of the plan 

 of I anana used as a vegetable 

 f r 8 nnn 010 ntl e of la 

 I t t eh of one 



tain which is the f 



small 



hive mo th 1 ee c 

 from India Java "s 

 been sent o it from t 

 of the West In lies 



The so 1 most s tal le for 

 loam with a 1 « ge J 1 ] iti i 

 IS essent al Bananas giow 

 the appi cat oi of tt e water i 

 The onh 1 ea e tl t k 



Itl 



TROPICAL FRUITS 1863 



of any of the citrous fruits: they simply grew wild,— 

 seeds were dropped by birds, and wherever the soil 

 was suitable trees sprung up. Naturally many hybrids 

 and inferior kinds exist, but the great mass of the trees 

 have come true, and the fruit is of excellent quality. 

 Since Florida has suffered so much in its orange-groves, 

 cultivation in the West Indies has become general, and 

 all the best kinds of Citrus have been imported from 

 Florida, California and England. In Jamaica the navel 

 orange was introduced direct from Bahia many years 

 ago, and there is good evidence that it occtirs spontan- 

 eously in the island at the most favorable elevation for 

 the orange, — about 2,300 feet. A natural hybrid between 

 the sweet orange and tlie tangierine is also known in the 

 same district. The general excellence of the orange in 

 Jamaica is partly due to the large numbers of grafted St. 

 Michaels that were distributed from the Botanic Gar- 



iens at Castleton. A limestone soil seems to suit the 

 lange best. At low elevations both the orange and the 

 f,iape fruit are rather sweet, but this fault gradually 

 1 sapi ears and the flnvor in'jM-o-' ^ rlir hiL'-licr the ele- 



fru t The 

 c tious trile 



II the West 

 ?ke*d by the 



Trees that 

 le or insect 



few \ears ago 



I les xnl the roots of tr. .s aiv :: 

 g 1 of a beetle, a species of Pr£ 

 have giown wild are not subject t 

 pests 



P e ; 7 /(S. — Pineapples arc iihIu. n.ms in tropical 

 Amei a and although it is ■-. n i 1 i i -ilil.- to say 

 whethei tl ey are truly iiativ. in ,n • oi ih, West In- 



d an 1 Ian Is, they are spoken ot ,- 1 _ .town not 



^ery loig after the discoven li i I mo in .loseph 

 Ac sta m his "Naturall andJloi ill Ih-ion, , i the East 

 and West Indies" (London. Hi li. -i%- The first 

 Spaniards named many things :ii ili. Inon^ with such 

 S] 1 mes asthey did most II ^. iiiMi . a- I'liiHs . . . 



1 1 1 ht'V be very different tnnts n, iliosi- which 



II dinSpaine . . . Tin 1.. -i h - I are those 



I I I ids of Barlovente |(iii It. 1 Aiiiillis|.'' The 

 1 -dens in Jamaica are niakiin; i xjn nnients in 



r 1 1 fferent varieties. The Ripley is the general 

 ta^orite m Jamaica for its exquisite flavor, but the 

 Sn ooth C avenue is being cultivated largely for export, 

 as its finer appearance ensures a higher price in the 



