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SU B-TROPICAL AW D;^IJDUqU_S FRUIT PRODUC^i: 



Tayaja products are a new and promising development in south 

 Texas. A pulpy "buverage is prepared "by ^.opare.ting the peel and seeds 

 from ripe papaya and passing the flesh throUj^h a high speed pulper 

 and finisher to iDroduce fine, smooth pulp. The pulp may he mixed with 

 an eqiial volume of grapefruit juice, or v/ith an equal volume of a mix- 

 ture consisting of 35 percent leraon Juice and 65 percent v;ater. Suf- 

 ficient sugar is added to increase the soluhlo solids of the finished 

 hevcrage to aoout 18 jDcrcent. Tho mixtiire may "be flash hoo.ted to 200"' P. 

 filled, scaled and in"/erted for ton mimite.? before cooling rapidly. 



Lemon juice or citric ?,cid is ao ed to the cu"bed or crushed 

 papaya for canning in syrup v-vA for preparing preserves or ice cream 

 sundae topoing. Preliminary tests have "been nade on drying suid grind- 

 ing the papaya seed, and peel residue for u'^.e in mixed feeds. As a 

 result of experiments "by mcin"bors of the Texas Experiment Station and 

 others, a"bo\it 100 COO pa.paya plants of improved strains are now "being 

 planted, and skillful growers are ahle to operate profitaoly at present 

 prices pa.id for the fruit. 



Pig products ha.ve "been investigated extensively "by the Texas 

 E:q)eriment Station at Angelton, Texas. Other fruit crops grovra in 

 Texas, including dates, berries, melons, grapes, peaches and apricots, 

 have received limited o,ttention in our L-a'borato.ry,. due to restrictions 

 imposed by allotments and personnel. Expansion in melon and "berry pro- 

 duction in southern sections of the state m.akes increasing attention to 

 .these fruits desira."ble. 



VEGETASLB PRODUCTS : 



Tv/o years ago the v/ork of our Laboratory wa.s expanded to in- 

 clude investigation of vegetable products. Tv/enty thousand cars of 

 vegetables are shipped each year from the Lower Rio Grande Valley. 

 Other important vegetable -producing areas exist in the Winter C-arden 

 section, in tho irri-;atod Rio Grande Valley a'bove axid below SI Paso, 

 and throughout Texas from Corpus Christi into Louisiana, Arkans-as and 

 Oklahoma. Approximately thirty-five vegetables are grov/n. Tlie leaders 

 in quantities prodiiced are cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, 

 beets, parsley, corn, spinach, beans a! ' peas. 



Producing seasons in southern veget.ablo sections follow those 

 in northern areas, mal-;ing it possible to adjust canned a-nd frozen packs 

 to market needs resulting from seasonal variations in productivity. 

 Differences in soil and climate makes it impossible to tr.ansfer grow- 

 ing and packing methods developed in one section to another without 

 modifications. Several canning ventures in this section have failed 

 because of efforts to use varieties; cultural practice a-nd handling 

 methods developed elsev/iiere v:ere unsuccessful under the conditions ex- 

 isting in the south. Varieties of tomatoes, corn and peas grovm for can- 

 ning elsewhere have been failures in south Texas; but cooperative tests 

 with the Texas Experiment Station have demonstrated varieties which pro- 

 duce crops of excellent canning quality. 



