THE MANGO 95 



supposed to have a curative effect in some affections of the throat. 

 According to the author of the Makhzan, the Hindus make a confection 

 of the baked pulp of the unripe fruit mixed with sugar, which in time 

 of plague or cholera they take internally and rub all over the body ; 

 it is also stated in the same work that the midribs of the leaves calcined 

 are used to remove warts on the eyelids." (Dymock, Warden, and 

 Hooper.) 



CLIMATE AND SOIL 



While the mango grows in humid tropical regions subject to 

 heavy rains throughout the year, it is not successfully cultivated 

 for its fruit under these conditions. It requires the stimulus of 

 a dry season to fruit abundantly. To a certain extent this 

 stimulus can be given by artificial means, but there can be no 

 doubt that the best regions for commercial mango culture are 

 those in which there is a well-marked dry season occurring at 

 the proper time of year. 



This is illustrated by conditions in India. Lower Bengal 

 is a humid region in which moisture-loving tropical plants are 

 completely at home. Mango trees in this region are ragged in 

 appearance, with foliage of an unhealthy color, and the fruit 

 does not ripen well. In sharp contrast, the trees at Saharanpur, 

 on the dry plains of northern India, are vigorous and stocky in 

 habit, with abundant foliage of rich green color. They fruit more 

 profusely than those in the moist lowlands, and the fruit 

 ripens perfectly. Saharanpur lies at an elevation of 1000 feet, 

 and has an annual rainfall of about thirty-five inches. During 

 the season when mangos are ripening, no rain falls and the air 

 is hot and dry. Temperature of 100 F., continued throughout 

 day and night, are common. The monsoon, or rainy season, 

 lasts but a few months. 



The total amount of rainfall is not so important as the season 

 during which it occurs. Where the dry season coincides with 

 the normal flowering time of the mango, good crops of fruit can 

 be expected, but it seems doubtful whether the finer grafted 



