24 GUAM AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



vnrictv obtniiu'd from St. liucia, are promising. Numl)or 576 has 

 ]>n)dw('0(l fully as heavy yields as the common native variety, and 

 the com of the foi-mcr was matured in a season 30 daj'-s shorter than 

 the ]>eriod required to ripen a crop of the ordinary native corn. If, 

 as it is hoped, the habit of earl}" maturity remains unchanged in this 

 variety under its new environment, it should meet with ilnmediate 

 popularity. A variety of corn having desirable characteristics in 

 general and which offers in addition the advantages of an unusually 

 short season is of special importance in Guam. Plantings are often 

 retarded by the lack of sufficient moisture at the proper season for 

 ])lanting, and the four months required to produce a crop of the 

 native variety pushes the harvest well forward into the season of 

 heavy rains, and the yield is, consequently, materially reduced. 

 Severe ^^'inds or tj^hoons frequently occur, causing considerable 

 damage to growmg corn, and the dangers of loss from this cause are 

 in proportion to the length of time required to mature the crop. 

 Tliis new variety of corn also possesses the advantage of hardness of 

 kernel and seems to be more easily stored in the ear and more resist- 

 ant to the ordmary grain or rice weevil (Calandra orijzx) than is the 

 common native variety. Much interest has been shown in this new 

 corn, and a limited amount of seed has been distributed. A com- 

 paratively large quantity of seed will be available for furtlior distri- 

 bution during the coming year. 



ORCHARD NOTES. 



MANGO PROPAGATION. 



Work on the propagation of the mango was taken up during the 

 past year. The supply of this favorite fruit is always made([uate 

 to the demand; and there is a ready market for all available fruit at 

 prices of from 5 to 10 cents each. The conditions in Guam are 

 favorable for the production of this fruit, and there seems no reason 

 why all local demand could not easily be fully supplied. 



Two polyembryonic races of this fruit are grown in Guam. The 

 one most widely grown and the older from a viewpoint of its in- 

 troduction into Guam is similar and probably identical with the 

 "caraboa" mango of the Philippines. The fruit of this type is of 

 excellent flavor, and its only serious faults are its light-fruiting habits 

 and the long period required to grow fruiting trees from seed. The 

 latter of the two faults can easily be rectified by graftage, and it is 

 believed that its light-bearing properties may also be partially cor- 

 rected by working it upon the stock of the other type, locally known 

 as the "Saipan" mango. The Saipan mango tree yielf^s a small 

 fruit which contains a considerable quantity of fiber and is decidedly 

 lacking in flavor. As compared with the former type, trees of this race 



