THE MANGO 



(Magnifera Indica.) 



The mango, justly regarded as one of the most interesting and 

 useful trees of the warmer parts of the globe, is a native of South- 

 ern Asia, especially of India, where it has been known from a 

 remote epoch and where it is still extensively cultivated. In the new 

 world the mango first appeared in Brazil, whence it was soon brought 

 to Central America, Mexico and the West Indies, reaching Jamaica in 

 1782. "In 1782 Capt. Marshall, of Lord Rodney's squadron, captured 

 a French vessel bound from the island of Mauritius to Santo Do- 

 mingo, that had on board many valuable plants, among which was 

 the mango, said to have been in the form of grafted stock. These 

 were planted in the botanic gardens of Mr. Hinton East at Gordon 

 Town, Jamaica. Two kinds — one labeled No. 11 and the other No. 

 32 — have since been known by these designations. No. 11 being one 

 of the most popular varieties in Jamaica at the present time." 

 Nearly 100 years later, or in 1877, the first mango trees were grown 

 in Florida at Point Pinellas from seed brought from Jamaica. These 

 early plantings were successful. The trees grew fast, came into bear- 

 ing very young and their fruit brought high prices. As a result, 

 the mango was planted quite extensively in central Florida, then the 

 scene of the State's most substantial development. But experience 

 soon taught growers that profitable culture of this newcomer from 

 the tropics, and some other kinds of fruit equally sensitive to frost, 

 could only be safely undertaken in the southern part of the State, 

 especially in Dade County. There, in the vicinity of Miami, and 

 southward, in that small, but climatically favored region, the only 

 part of the United States where certain kinds of. the more delicate 

 sub-tropical fruits can be grown to perfection, mango culture has 

 passed the experimental stage and the new industry is destined to 

 soon become one of the best paying branches of fruit growing. 



But what is the mango? How does it taste? How does it 

 grow? 



The high esteem in which this fruit is held throughout the 

 tronics is admitted by all travelled Europeans and Americans. 

 Wherever really good mangoes are produced they outrank in popu- 

 larity both the orange and the banana. Two hundred and thirty 

 million inhabitants of India consider it the best fruit in the world; 

 and many outside of India who have tasted the very best kinds agree 

 with this verdict. On the other hand there are not a few who think 

 differently. This difference of opinion is easily explained, since 

 mangoes may be sharply classified as good mangoes and mangoes 

 that are "not good." The former have been produced through cen- 

 turies of selection and cultivation of the best varieties in India, 

 where the mango first attained its best estate. These varieties . 

 are propagated only by budding, grafting and inarching, methods 

 which are well understood and now practised in mango culture in 



