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CULTIVATION OF TROPICAL FRUITS. 



admitted more freely during the flowering season ; water may be 

 applied once a-week, and alternately mixed with rich liquid 

 manure. A pure light and dry air appears essential to produce 

 the brilliant orange-scarlet tints of this noble species. 3. JE. 

 pulcher, with terminal clusters of rich crimson blossoms. 4. 

 JE. Boschianus, producing numerous axillary flower-tubes, of a 

 rich flame-coloured crimson. 5. M. Lobbianus, having ter- 

 minal close racemes of a crimson hue. 6. miniatus, with 

 rich vermilion blossoms, formed laterally, upon its branches. 

 The four last-named species being apparently much smaller in 

 growth than those previously described, are therefore suitable for 

 small collections of stove-plants, and of the four, M. Boschianus 

 and JEi. miniatus, by their decumbent habit, are specially adapted 

 for being suspended in baskets or fancy vases. 



XIX. — Remarks on Cultivating Tropical Fruits for the Table. 

 By Mr. A. Scott, C.M.H.S., Gardener to the Right Hon. 

 Sir George Staunton, Bart., M.P., F.H.S. 



(Communicated Jan. 12, 1847.) 



Now that the cultivation of rare tropical fruits is likely to 

 receive more attention than it has hitherto done, I have ventured 

 to mention the subject, not with the view of giving any new or 

 valuable information, but briefly for the purpose of noticing 

 some of the kinds that are fruited here, whose merits have been 

 compared with the usual dessert fruits ; believing that a correct 

 list of the sorts that have fruited in the different gardens of this 

 country, accompanied with a few remarks on their qualities and 

 the best methods of cultivating them, would give a more inviting 

 appearance to this very interesting branch of gardening, seeing 

 that we could then more readily ascertain their various merits, a 

 subject on which opinions will be found to differ ; for it is well 

 known to those having extensive knowledge of Indian and other 

 tropical fruits, that many Europeans at first express strong dis- 

 like to certain sorts which they afterwards learn to esteem. 



Of the kinds that are fruited here, perhaps the Mango is the 

 only one entitled to the character of a first-rate fruit ; but others 

 are equal, if not superior, to several of our common kinds, inde- 

 pendently of their being the produce of species belonging to 

 very distinct tribes of plants, and thus interest and variety is 

 added to the dessert, which ought always to give them a strong 

 claim on our attention, even if it should ultimately be found that 

 but few of the more rare tropical fruits excel those usually cul- 

 tivated for the table. 



