Fruit Growing in the Gulf States. 223 



and grows wild and in gardens, as Mr. JENMAN informs me ; 

 Rose apple or Pomme rose (Eugenia jambosa) , Barbados 

 gooseberry (Pereskia aculeataj, strawberry tree, the 

 arbutus of Europe, and Pistachio (Pistacia vera) which 

 have been introduced into Florida, but their cultivation 

 does not appear as yet to have been very general or 

 very successful. 



The sea grape (Coccoloba nvifera)^ known to us as a 

 temptation to small boys to throw stones, appears to be 

 much appreciated along the Florida coast, where the 

 fruit is eaten raw, or in preserves and jellies. 



Of the pawpaw (Carica papaya) there are several 

 varieties : one is spoken of as bearing small bitter fruit 

 the size of an egg or smaller, while another bears fruit 

 of 5 and 10 lbs. weight. The fruit will not stand 24 

 hours transportation when ripe. Its property of render- 

 ing raw meat tender, and its use as a fruit to be eaten 

 raw, or stewed with sugar, are known in Florida. 



It will be remembered that this peculiar property of 

 the pawpaw has been utilised in the treatment of dys- 

 pepsia, and papaine is superseding pepsine, prepared 

 from the gastric juice of swine by a clever, but not very 

 attractive process. Papaine is also used in diphtheria 

 with the view of dissolving the membrane, which is one 

 of the characteristics of that disease. 



The Otaheite gooseberry (Cicca disticha), although 

 susceptible of cold, is largely cultivated as an ornamental 

 tree and for its fruit, which is highly esteemed for pastry, 

 jellies, and preserves. These good qualities do not seem 

 to be recognised by usin British Guianatoanygreatextent. 



The cultivation of the cocoa nut palm is one of the 

 leading industries of South Florida, although its tender- 



