22 
MavRirIUS. 
The following Report on the fruits of Mauritius has been prepared 
by Mr. John c , F.L.S, Director of the Botanical Gardens and of 
Woods and For 
The pri ML nes is fruits grown in Mauritius, in order of merit, 
are: The banana, ** Banane,’ Musa, several varieties; the mango, 
* Mangue," Mangifera indica, many: varieties ; the pine-apple, “Ananas,” 
Ananas sativa, several varieties ; the litchi, “ Léeches,” Nephelium 
Litchi ; the longan, Nephelium Longan ; the alligator or avocada pear, 
* Avocat," Persea gratissima; the strawberry, “ Fraise,” Fragaria 
a va 
raspberry, “ Framboise Maronne,” Rubus rosefolius (this plant is 
indigenous, it is not cultivated in Mauritius); the sweet sop, “ Atti,” 
pe 
R 
48 
S 
Q 
dii 
D 
& 
LI 
-— 
=z 
© 
e 
[e] 
E 
B 
o 
E 
E 
e 
Em 
fae) 
lar] 
E 
32 
ge 
a 
s 
© 
3 
E 
S 
s 
~ 
3 
S 
= 
& 
E reticulata ; the * Fruit de Cythére,” Spondias dulcis ; the guava, 
^ Go T UE EN m pomiferum, pyr toes chinensis and Cattleyanum ; E 
the“ Abri e Pape," Diospyros There are several other sorts 
of less ES or tins thar the Pudong as the Malay apple, carambole, 
mabola, &c. 
. The banana is ripe throughout the year. Mangoes from October to 
i st abu t uary and February. Pine-apples 
throughout the year, bu mmon in r, January, and 
“he litchi, from the middle of November or beginning of 
December to the mi January. The from middle of 
| pea 
November to bp end of January. The other sorts follow at various 
times of the 
The DH “of fruit chere for export from Mauritius on an 
average of seasons is very small indeed. It takes about all that is 
grown in the island to supply its inhabitants and the vessels in the 
bour. 
As to the prices which rule the fruit market here, wholesale and 
c much depends on the scarcity, or otherwise, of the kind of 
fru 
The best varieties of mangoes a A age is abundant, retailed at 
from 25 cents to 50 cents of a rupee per n prime fruit. 
Wholesale, and purchasing by the haic fruit at a time at the 
rom R. 1 to Rs. 3 per hundred fruit. In years of scarity the fruit is 
much dearer. The maximum price, wholesale and retail, just given, 
‘may then safely be taken for the minimum prices during such years. 
The Indians—natives of oe or their descendants—who are the 
fruit dealers of the Colony, do not care to purchase from the grower in 
this way. They prefer to m from him by the lump, so much for 
all the fruit on a tree orin an orchard. They then sell the fruit to 
retailers by the hundred. The litchi, longan, and some other kinds of 
fruit, are sold in the same way, at from 25 to 50 cents of a rupee pe 
hundred fruit. The wholesale at beroi at about one-half to three- 
fourths of the retail one. 
The banana is sold at about one-half a cent of a rupee for one fruit. 
The wholesale price at the plantation is from two to four fruit for a cent 
of a rupee. 
The pine-apple is sold, in retail, at from four cents of a rupee and 
upwards per fruit, depending g on size, quality, and abundance or scarci ity 
of the fruit. The whole sale prices of this fruit, at the plantation, is 
. about one-half to three-fourths of the above sums 
