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The National Geographic Magazine 



the United States. The best varieties, 

 which are rich and delicate, are scarce 

 at present; but Mr Collins believes that 

 in a very short time, with more care in 

 the cultivation of the tree and with the 

 introduction of new varieties of mango, 

 great quantities of the finest fruit can 

 be grown and shipped to this country. 

 He believes that the fruit would soon 

 become immensely popular and equal, 

 if not surpass in popularity, both the 

 orange and banana. 



Mr Collins' report to the Department 

 of Agriculture * has recently been pub- 

 lished, and from it the following notes 

 are taken : 



Though European residents in the 

 Tropics almost universally acquire a 

 fondness for the mango, and in England 

 the demand for it is steadily increasing, 

 it having been found possible to make 

 importations from India, notwithstand- 

 ing the great distance, the mango is as 

 yet little known in the United States, 

 having been represented in our markets 

 only by fruit of inferior varieties. These 

 give no suggestion of the qualities of 

 the better sorts, and tend rather to dis- 

 courage than to increase the demand. 

 If an effort similar to that which brought 

 the banana into favor in the United 

 States f could place an adequate sup- 

 ply of good mangoes before the public, 

 there is no apparent reason why this 

 new tropical fruit should not repeat the 

 history of its now popular predecessor. 



A taste for mangoes has in most peo- 

 ple to be cultivated; but once acquired, 

 it is like a taste for olives, and becomes 

 almost a craving. The milder flavored 



*"The Mango in Porto Rico." By G. N. 

 Collins, Department of Agriculture, Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, Bulletin No. 2S. 



f The banana was first introduced on a large 

 scale into the United States by a steamship 

 line which brought great quantities of bananas 

 from the West Indies. It was not confidence 

 in the latent popularity of the fruit that in- 

 duced the steamship line to bring the bananas 

 over, but a last effort to get freight for its 

 vessels. 



varieties, in which no taste of turpentine 

 is to be detected, are usually enjoyed 

 even by the novice, but after one be- 

 comes familiar with the fruit a slight 

 taste of turpentine ceases to be disagree- 

 able. The fiber, however, that exists 

 in the poorer varieties is an unmitigated 

 evil, and renders the eating of a mango 

 a serious operation. Persons forming 

 their opinion of the fruit from these poor 

 varieties usually indorse the proverbial 

 statement that the mango is " a mass of 

 tow saturated with turpentine ; ' ' but 

 those acquainted with the fruit at its- 

 best are almost unanimously enthusi- 

 astic in their praise. Elphinstone, the 

 historian of India, says: 



' ' The mango is the best fruit of India, 

 at once rich and delicate, and all other 

 fruits are comparatively insipid beside 

 its intensity of taste. There is some- 

 thing in it that is nothing less than vo- 

 luptuous." 



Good mangoes are produced in Amer- 

 ica, but as yet in such small quantity 

 that few persons have had an opportu- 

 nity to taste any but inferior fruit. 

 Sample lots of the more common and 

 poorer varieties are frequently shipped 

 to northern markets, and have doubtless 

 done much to hinder the growth of the 

 trade . A first impression is very lasting , 

 and first impressions of the mango based 

 on such fruit are likely to be anything 

 but favorable. As an example, mangoes 

 are frequently to be found in the Wash- 

 ington market, but we have never seen 

 one that could be called good, even in 

 comparison with the Porto Rican fruit. 



This impression will doubtless be dif- 

 ficult to dispel; but if really good man- 

 goes could be placed in the markets 

 their increase in popular favor would be 

 certain and the growing of mangoes 

 might become a profitable pursuit. 



In spite of the fact that in all mango- 

 producing countries the natives consider 

 the fruit wholesome and perfectly safe, 

 prejudice against it exists among some 

 military officials and others, who con- 



