372 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



protected situations. The common name of the fruit in Porto 

 Rico is guayabote or guayabota; in Hawaii it has been called 

 black persimmon ; while the usual terms in Mexico are zapote 

 negro and zapote prieto. 



The black sapote is eaten fresh. It is more highly esteemed 

 by Europeans when the pulp is beaten with a small quantity of 

 orange or lemon juice and served as a dessert. It should be 

 chilled thoroughly before serving. 



In its climatic requirements the species must be considered 

 tropical, yet it will succeed in regions occasionally subject to 

 temperatures of 28 or 30 above zero. Young plants, however, 

 are killed by freezing temperatures, and for this reason it is 

 necessary in Florida to protect them during the first few 

 winters. In Mexico the species grows both in regions subject 

 to heavy rainfall and those which are extremely dry, but in 

 the latter it requires abundant irrigation. It is most commonly 

 grown at elevations from to 2000 feet, which indicates that it 

 prefers a warm climate. It prefers a deep, moist, sandy loam, 

 but has made fairly good growth in Florida on shallow sandy soil. 



Like other fruits, the black sapote is grown in the tropics 

 as a dooryard tree and is not often planted in orchard form. 

 Little is known, therefore, regarding the cultural methods which 

 will best suit it. Young trees are set in the open ground when 

 one to two feet high, and should be spaced (if in the tropics 

 and on deep soil) not closer than 40 feet, or 25 feet if in a sub- 

 tropical climate (such as that of Florida) and on poor soil. 

 Propagation is usually effected by means of the seeds, which 

 retain their viability for several months if kept dry. They 

 should be sown | inch deep in flats or pots of light loamy soil, 

 and will germinate in about a month if the weather is warm. 

 When three inches high, the plants may be transferred to three- 

 inch pots. Their growth is slow and they require one to two 

 years to reach suitable size for transplanting to the open 

 ground. 



