80 FOREST TBEES. 



Medicinal properties a,re attributed to nearly every 

 part of tlie tree, whicli is universally cherislied by 

 the people of India. 



The wood of the seedling mango attains ample 

 dimensions, and being plentiful and easily worked 

 finds its way into minor works of carpentry and 

 engineering ; it does not, however, stand exposure, 

 nor is it exempt from the attacks of white ants, 

 wood-lice and other timber pests. Weight about 

 40 lb. per .cubic foot. 



Cultivation- — During the fruiting season the ripe 

 mango stones are laid down thickly under partial 

 shade, where they are subsequently covered by a 

 thin layer of sand and left to nature. In the course 

 of a month or six weeks, unless the weather has 

 been abnormally dry, every healthy stone will have 

 sprouted, and in September or October the seedHngs 

 should be ready either for potting or transplanting 

 into a nursery plot in the open field. In the latter 

 case, plant in drills at eighteen inches apart . each 

 way and cultivate until the young trees are 2^ — 3 

 feet in height. With good treatment this growth 

 wUl be attained in eighteen to twenty months, so 

 that the whole period required to prepare a good 

 mango stock, from seed-sowing to the time of graft- 

 ing, is under two years. When stocks have attained 

 the proper size in the nursery they are transplanted 

 a second time into position for grafting, which is on 

 to small mounds of earth conveniently placed under 

 the branches of the old grafted tree. In this posi- 

 tion they should be leit for nearly two months 

 before the actual operation of inarching is put in 

 hand. The latter is now so widely imderstood, that 

 it calls for no description here, but it should be 

 stated that young trees, specimens showiiig signs of 

 disease, and very old trees are not in a condition to 

 a,fford the best scions for inarching. The operation 



