134 FRUIT CULTIVATION 



only occasionally cultivated, chiefly in the Kalutara and Galle 

 districts. The round or oblong fruit is not unlike a smooth brown- 

 skinned potato in appearance. Unless perfectly ripe it is unfit for 

 eating, owing to the gum and tannin it contains ; but after 

 keeping for a few days it becomes delicious. The skin is extremely 

 thin, and the interior consists of a pale brown juicy and most 

 luscious pulp, in which the large black shining seeds are embedded. 

 FIRMINGER said : "A more luscious, cool and agreeable fruit is not 

 to be met with perhaps in any country in the world." The tree is. 

 somewhat commonly cultivated in Lower Bengal, and thrives up 

 to 3,000 ft. elevation in Southern India ; but in Ceylon it is seldom 

 productive above 1,500 ft., and succeeds best at the coast. It is a 

 slow grower, and may be propagated by seed, but preferably by 

 grafting ; usually bears two crops a year, one during August and 

 September, and the other in February and March. In India the fruit 

 is sometimes erroneously called " mangosteen," See Chickle Gmn. 



Aegle Marmelos (Rutaceae, Orange family). Bengal-quince ; 

 Bael-fruit ; "Baeli" S. ; "Vilvam" T. A small spiny tree, origin- 

 ally a native of India, now commonly grown in the low-country of 

 Ceylon and other tropical countries for its fruit. The latter is 

 globular, with a hard, woody, green shell, and varies in size from 

 that of a cricket ball to a large melon ; it encloses a mass of doughy 

 aromatic pulp, intermingled with which is a limpid glutinous 

 substance, which some people relish for its flavour, but more 

 particularly for its medicinal value. This is a well-known specific 

 for dysentery, and is much used in native medicine. The principal 

 season for the fruit is during the months of February to May. The 

 tree is propagated by seed, and thrives in ordinarily good soil. 



Anacardium occidentale (Anacardiaceae, Mango family). 

 Cashew-nut; " Caju-gaha " 5. ; "Mundiri-maram" T. A spreading 

 tree, about 30 to 40 ft. high, with large leathery leaves, considered 

 to be a native of the West Indies, but thoroughly naturalised in 

 Africa, Ceylon, India, etc. Its well-known fruit consists of two 

 distinct parts, viz. (1) the large swollen pear-shaped stalk (cashew- 

 apple), 2 to 4 inches long, which is juicy, astringently acid, and 

 used in preserves ; (2) the small kidney-shaped, grey or brown nut 

 (about 1 inch long) at the extremity. The latter has an edible 

 kernel (seed), which when roasted is of a very agreeable nutty 

 taste, and is much relished for dessert, being considered by some 

 superior to all other nuts; it is in demand in Europe, to 

 which it is exported, for confectionery and flavouring purposes. 



