234 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



be put up over the seed-bed to protect the seed from being 

 washed out and the plants from being beaten down by the 

 heavy rains." 



Vegetative propagation of the papaya by two means has been 

 shown to be possible, but it is not yet demonstrated that either 

 of these methods produces satisfactory plants. Cuttings are 

 readily grown, but they develop more slowly than seedlings. 

 Grafted plants are more rapid in growth and come into fruit 

 early, and it was thought at one time that this method offered 

 great possibilities ; but later experience has shown that when 

 propagated by this means in Florida, a given variety degen- 

 erates rapidly, and in the third or fourth generation from the 

 parent seedling the grafted plants make very little growth and 

 their fruits are small and practically worthless. The explana- 

 tion of this behavior has not been found, nor is it known whether 

 it will occur in other regions ; but its effect in Florida has been 

 to do away with grafting and cause all growers to return to 

 seed-propagation. 



In order that those who are interested in the subject may 

 experiment for themselves, a brief extract is given here from 

 "The Grafted Papaya as an Annual Fruit Tree," by Fairchild 

 and Simmonds. 1 These investigators found that seeds of 

 the papaya, when planted in the greenhouse in February, 

 produce young seedlings large enough to graft some time in 

 March ; that these grafted trees, which can be grown in pots, 

 when set out in the open ground in May or the latter part of 

 April, make an astonishing growth and come into bearing (in 

 Florida) in November or December ; that they continue bear- 

 ing throughout the following spring and summer, and if it is 

 advisable, can be left to bear fruit into the following autumn. 



"After a seedling begins to fruit, it does not normally produce side- 

 shoots which can be used for grafting. It has been observed for 

 some time, however, that if the top of a bearing tree is cut or broken 



1 Circ. 119, Bur. Plant Industry. 



