horticulture 165 



Mango Gardens. 



The number of plants to the acre varies with the soil. On 

 rich soils where the trees spread well, 20 to 25 are planted, 

 while on gravelly soils where the growth is rather stunted, up 

 to 50 trees to the acre. The best distance is 40 feet apart, in 

 rows 30 feet apart, the plants arranged quincuncially, whereby 

 36 go to the acre. Grafts are not allowed to bear for the 

 first three or four years to promote growth. Afterwards an 

 average yield of about Rs. 2 to 3 may be expected from each 

 tree. The value of the fruit varies considerably with the 

 variety. There are varieties that fetch up to Rs. 4 a dozen. 

 The gardens can be considerably improved by interculturing 

 and growing a pulse crop like horsegram. Graft mango 

 gardens bear well for about 50 years when they must be 

 renewed. 



Jack Gardens. 



The Jack is a tree, which requires plenty of rainfall, 

 and moist and dewy climate : it is rare in parts of the 

 East Coast wherje the conditions are adverse, but is quite 

 a common tree in the West Coast bearing very heavily in the 

 dewy, cold and mountainous interior villages. 



It is always planted mixed with coconut, arecanut, mango 

 and pepper, serving as a standard for the last-mentioned 

 creeper. Its top shade is very heavy and highly objectionable 

 to trie neighbouring trees. When alone, 20 trees will be 

 ample per acre. Seedlings are raised from well chosen nuts 

 from young trees, and they (4 to 6 months old) are planted 

 out in well prepared and protected pits at the close of the 

 South-West Monsoon rains. They should be watered when 

 necessary. 



Red loams with an admixture of gravel are preferred. 

 The trees grow slowly, begin to bear in about 12 years, live 

 long, even over 100 years : flower in December-January ; 

 harvest is completed in June- July. They are seldom manur- 

 ed, but the garden receives one or two diggings a year. The 

 yield per tree varies considerably from 5 to 200 fruits (worth 

 5 annas to 5 rupees) with age, soil and locality. It is a poor 

 man's food on the West Coast. There are two main varieties, 

 hard and soft, known as Varikai and Pazhom. The wood is 

 one of the best in the world in point of hardness and polish, 

 with golden yellow colour. It is excellent for all kinds of 

 woodwork, particularly for furniture. 



