208 GAKDEN PLANTS. PART TL 



ANONACE^B. 



Anona squamosa. 



CTJSTAKD-APPLE. 



Aid Shureefa Seeia-phul. 



A small tree ; " no doubt," Dr Voigt observes, " a native of 

 tropical America, notwithstanding St. Hilaire's reasonings, which 

 would make it of Asiatic origin." Dr. Anderson in his recent 

 catalogue sets it down as a native of both tropical Asia and 

 America. It is most abundant in Bengal, and produces its 

 rather large, greenish-yellow flowers about the middle of May. 

 This fruit and the Bullock's heart are not known, I am told, in 

 the Punjab. 



The fruit is of the size of the largest Apple; and when 

 thoroughly ripe difficult to raise without the tortoise-shell-like 

 compartments of the rind bursting open, and the fruit dropping 

 to pieces by its own weight. The custard-like substance of the 

 interior has a most delicious and delicate flavour. Dr Mac- 

 fadyen, however, speaking of it as produced in the West Indies, 

 says that he " has never met with a European who was -partial 

 to it."* This would seem to imply that the fruit produced in 

 India, where it is so universally approved of, must be vastly 

 superior to that grown in what has been assigned as its native 

 locality. It is in season in this country during the greater part 

 of the Rains and cold months. The tree, when bearing, requires 

 to be covered by a net, or the produce, before fit to be gathered, 

 will almost be sure to be devoured by birds or squirrels. To 

 effect this more conveniently, as well as to improve the bearing 

 properties of the tree, a judicious system of pruning may with 

 advantage be adopted. Or the fruit may be preserved by 

 wrapping each one up severally, when about the size of a hen's 

 egg, in a piece of thin muslin. 



General Jenkins writes : " The fruit as brought to market are 

 generally forced in straw, being gathered long before they are 

 ripe, otherwise they would require netting. This tree grows in 

 the highest perfection, in the most rocky, hot, and barren parts 

 of the country, and spontaneously. The largest I remember to 

 have seen were at Punnah, the most barren of sterile places. 



* ' Flora of Jamaica,' p. 9. 



