GUAM AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 19 



backward and undeveloped condition is not due entirely to lack of 

 enterprise on the j^art of the people, for other causes, such as the 

 absence of good transportation facilities, past and present, the isolated 

 geograj^hical position of the island, necessitating long voyages be- 

 tween Guam and outside points, haA'e rendered the introduction of 

 live plants, and even of seeds, a matter of difficulty. This same con- 

 dition also prevents in a measure the importation of fresh fruits 

 and establishes the necessity of dependence upon the island's own 

 resources to supply these products. The people are fond of fniits 

 of almost every kind, and many times the quantity now produced 

 would be consumed if available. An abundance of fruit would not 

 only better the present food supply of the Chamorro and add directly 

 n^.any pleasures to his life, bijt it would also save him many a dollar 

 which now leaves the island in exchange for expensive canned foods. 

 The problem of increasing and improving the fruit supph' of the 

 island entails at least two very general factors, viz, the introduction 

 of the better fruits not in cultivation, together with the improvement, 

 through introduction or development of better varieties of those 

 fruits existing here, and a general improvement in all the various 

 phases of orchard management and fruit production. 



There is not a single nursery on the island where trees and plants 

 might be obtained, and probably not one tree or plant that has been 

 grown for the purpose of sale. Graftage in all its forms, and even 

 air layerage so universally practiced in the Orient, are unknown here. 

 Aside from a few such fruits as the banana, pineapple, and bread- 

 fruit, which grow from suckers or propagate naturally from the 

 root, the important fruits are all grown from the seed. The culti- 

 vation of fruit trees is generally neglected, and this results in lower- 

 ing the quality and reducing the yield. The following list includes 

 all the fruit, nut, and beverage producing plants on the island, and 

 while apparently rather extensive the list contains but few species 

 of real importance, and only a few that have been introduced into 

 general cultivation. 



CATALOGUE OF FRUITS AND TREES BEARING EDIBLE NUTS OR 

 SEEDS USED AS FOOD OR BEVERAGE GROWING ON THE ISLAND 

 OF GUAM, 



1. Aberia caffra. The Kei-apple. 



Recently introduced from Florida by this station. It has not yet fruited 

 on the island. 



2. Aberia gardneri. 



Introduced by this station during the fiscal year 1911, but not yet 

 fruiting. 



3. Achras sapotn. Chico. The sapodilla. 



This species is represented in Guam by a few seedling trees which 

 are light bearers of undersized fruit. It has been introduced from 

 tropical America by way of the Philippines, where it is now well estab- 

 lished, and is propagated almost entirely by air-layering. 



