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From G. N. Collins. U. S. Department ol Agriculture 



Mango Fruit, showing Method of Peeling (natural size) 



considerable dry season. On the moist north side of Porto 

 Rico the trees grow luxuriantly, but they are not nearly 

 so prolific, nor is the fruit of such good quality, as on the 

 dry south side, and in the very dry region about Yauco 

 and at Cabo Rojo the fruit seemed at its best, while its 

 abundance was attested by the fact that fine fruit was 

 selling as low as 12 for a cent. In Guatemala and Mexico 

 the mango was found at its best only in regions where 

 severe dry seasons prevailed. 



Under favorable conditions the mango is very prolific. 

 The tree of which a branch is shown on page 323 was 

 estimated to have in the neighborhood of 5,000 fruits at 

 the time the photograph was taken, and trees quite as 

 prolific were seen near Cabo Rojo, Porto Rico ; while trees 

 in southern Florida before the freeze of 1886 were esti- 

 mated to bear as high as 10,000 mangoes. From this it 

 will be seen that with 25 to 100 trees per acre enormous 

 quantities of mangoes can be produced on very small 

 tracts of land, provided the right climatic conditions exist. 



The method of peeling a stringy mango is shown on 

 this page. A cut is made around either end of the fruit 

 and these are then connected along one side, the central 

 strip being peeled off in one piece. The skin remaining 

 on the ends of the fruit affords a means of holding it with- 

 out the fingers coming in contact with the juicy flesh. If 

 in addition a sharp- pointed fork is at hand, this can be firmly 



From G. N. Collins 



Mango Fork (full size) 



