varieties show that they will keep longer after harvest than common 

 kinds, but that they must be handled carefully in order to reach 

 distant markets in attractive condition. There is a wide difference 

 between varieties in vigor of trees and in size and quality of fruit, 

 and as the general conditions in Porto Rico are suited to the produc- 

 tion of this fruit, the proper selection of varieties for planting seems 

 to be the most important consideration. The success of an orchard 

 will depend mainly upon the planting of prolific varieties suited to 

 the locality and with fruit of a size and quality to command a ready 

 market. 



As the observations here reported are drawn from the work of sev- 

 eral years during which trees of many varieties have been imported, 

 propagated, and in some cases brought into satisfactory production, 

 they should prove of value to those who expect to plant mangoes for 

 sale or for home use. Over 40 varieties which have not yet fruited 

 will be discussed in subsequent reports. 



SOU. 



Porto Rico has a very wide range of soil types, a given type, how- 

 ever, occurring in only small areas in any section. As the mango 

 tree is found in abundance iri almost all parts of Porto Rico, the 

 quality of soil in which it is planted seems to be an unimportant 

 factor in its growth, provided the depth of the soil is considerable. 

 A shallow soil underlain with stone or hardpan, although suffi- 

 ciently deep to produce shrubs or other low-growing wild vegeta- 

 tion, will not satisfy the needs of the deep-rooted mango, whose 

 growth in such ground will be slow and its yield poor, at least after 

 the first few years. The application of fertilizers, however, will ma- 

 terially decrease the depth of soil required. While the mango is less 

 affected by the quality of the soil than many other fruit trees, it is 

 sensitive to an overabundance of soil moisture. It is never vigorous 

 or prolific in low, poorly drained lands or on higher planes where 

 the water level is near the surface throughout long periods. Where 

 subdrainage is poor, the vigorous roots which penetrate to some 

 depth during a dry season are always severely injured if not killed 

 by the excess of water during the period of heavy rains lasting for 

 several months each year in almost all parts of Porto Rico. Sub- 

 drainage is generally poor through the rolling districts and also 

 in the western part of the island where the mango is most plentiful, 

 though, in the latter district practically all of the mango trees are 

 found growing at the brink of steep hillsides, on short, narrow 

 knolls and ridges, near road cuts or on grades, etc. A ditch only 

 2 or 3 feet deep will often cause a tree growing at its edge to make 

 a normal-growth and bear good crops. Where the soil is loose, with 



