B40 



Vernac. names. — Pepinella (Madeira, Lowe, Cook); Chuku (Brazil, 

 Martins); Chocho (Jamaica, Lunari). — Choko, Chayote, Christopbine. 

 Vegetable Pear, Chow Chow, Madeira Marrow, One-seeded Cucumber. 



Native of the W. Indies. Commonly cultivated in the Tropics. 



Fruit eaten as a vegetable. The tuberous roots are edible, starch 

 made from them is recommended as a substitute for Arrowroot 

 (Maranta arundinacea), and the young shoots may be eaten cooked, 

 like Asparagus. 



The green vines are good fodder, and the ripe stems contain a 

 strong straw like fibre used for making fancy basket work and ladies' 

 hats in Paris, and Algeria. 



This plant is mentioned in the list of plants grown at Ebute Metta 

 in 1892 (Rowland & Millen) but no farther particulars appear to be 

 available. It is, however, so commonly grown in hot countries, and 

 the cultivation being comparatively easy, that it is well worthy of 

 inclusion here. The yield, may vary from 25 to 100 fruits per plant 

 averaging about 1 lb. each. It has been estimated that Algerian 

 Chayotes can be produced profitably at 15 francs per 100 kilos ; they 

 realize on the Paris markets 30 to 50 francs per 100 kilos, 1^ cents 

 per lb. retail in Porto Rico (Cook, seq, p. 21), and M. to 4<5. each 

 retail in London. 



Ref. — " Chocho (Sechium edule)" in Kew Bull. Aug. 1887, pp. 6-9. 



" The Cultivation and uses of the Chocho or Chayote (Sechium 



edule)" Turner, in i^gric. Gaz. New S. Wales, iv. 1894, pp. 416- 



419. " The Chayote : A Tropical Vegetable," Cook, U.S. Dept, 



of Agric. Div. of Botany, Bull. No. 28, 1901, pp. 1-31. " Kultur 



und Vorwendung der Chayote (Sechium edule)" Koch, in Tropenpfl. 



xi. 1907, pp. 704-709. " Le Chouchou," in L' Agric. prat, des pays 



chauds, vii. 1, 1907, pp. 5-16. " Industrie de la Paille de 



Chouchou," I.e. pp. 127-136. 



The cultivation of all the cucurbits here mentioned is more or less 

 the same. They require rich, light soil, a hot climate, moderate 

 rainfall, and are all well suited to growing under irrigation. Seeds 

 may be raised in the ordinary way and planted out, or they may be 

 sown two or three together in permanent positions, and thinned out 

 as desired. A distance of 4 to 6 feet is usually sufficient, or each 

 plant may be allowed from 20 to 30 sq. feet when trailing on the 

 ground. In planting, the collar should always be raised above the 

 level of the ground so that no water lodges near it, and for this 

 reason they are usually planted on prepared mounds, both in the 

 field and garden. It may be convenient to grow them on poles or 

 trellis, but provided the fruits are kept off the ground they grow 

 equally well as trailers. A few may require special treatment ; 

 Melons (Cucwnis Melo), for instance, are pinched back or stopped 

 on each fruit growth, but Water Melons (Gitrullus vulgaris), 

 Marrows, Pumpkins (Gucurbita Pepo) &c. are usually left to ramble 

 freely, though an occasional thinning is required to prevent over- 

 crowding. Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) and Marrows, or those 

 used as vegetables, are cut as they reach the desired size unless 

 wanted to ripen for seed, or as in the case of the marrows, for 

 preserving. Those used as fruits are allowed to ripen on the plant. 

 All require plenty of moisture at the root and due care in watering 

 is not the least essential to success. 



Ref. — " Cucurbitaceous Fruits in Egypt," Brown, in Journ. Roy. 

 Hort. Soc. xxxv. July, 1909, pp. 31-35 ; Abstract in Agric. News, 

 Barbados, viii. 1909, pp. 308-309. 



