152 



Wellesley on one occasion the mortality among the pigs was veo' 

 great nearly all dying. The Chinese somewhat increased the spread 

 of the disease by letting sick pigs run away to find a plant which 

 they said it could cure itself «-ith. They attributed the outbreak to 

 the malice of a demon, the marks of whose claws they said could be 

 seen on the pigs. This outbreak was attended by a large invasion 

 of vultures from the north, birds rarely seen so far south unless in 

 the case of cattle or pig disease. — Ed. 



PAPAYA CULTURE. 



Mr. Jesse of Joio tells of his method of raising papayas as follows : 

 The process of cultivation is divided into four stages. 



Fl RST. — The sprouting stage. The seed should be planted in boxes, 

 about l8" ■ l8" l8". containing rich earth, with which is mixed a 

 couple of handfuls of bone ash and fifteen drops of tincture of iron. 

 Plant the seed about an inch apart and bur>- about an inch below the 

 surface. The surface should be sprinkled lightly with water about 

 sundown. In about a week the 3'oung shoot should appear, and at 

 three weeks the shoot should be about eight inches high. 



Second.— The stage of preparation of the soil for the transplan- 

 tation of the young sh.oot and its early development. Having located 

 the site for the tree, dig a hole about two feet in diameter and one 

 foot deep. Procure enough rich earth mixed with bone ash to fill the 

 hole, and then sprinkle fifteen drops of tincture of iron over the sur- 

 face. Now dig up your sprout, being careful to retain the earth about 

 its roots, and bur>- about two inches deep. In order to protect the 

 young shoot from the direct sunlight drive four sticks into the ground 

 around the sprout and suspend a gunny sack. After about two weeks, 

 the young plant will have adjusted itself to its new home and the 

 sunshade ma}^ be removed. By this time the plant should be in a 

 flourishing condition and in three weeks should be three inches in 

 diameter at the base. 



Third. — The forced nourishment stage. Bore a hole into the trunk 

 about six inches from the ground, one inch deep and of a diameter 

 sHghtly larger than that of the red rubber tubing obtainable at your 

 drugstore. Fill a quart bottle half full of sugar and dissolve in 

 water. When the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, connect the bottle 

 with the hole in the tree by means of the red tubing. In twenty-four 

 hours the tree will have absorbed the contents of the bottle. 



Fourth. — The fruit bearing stage. If the young fruit appears too 

 numerous, it is well to pluck the least promising. Then, if the tree 

 is unable to support itself prop it up. At five months some of the 

 fruit on the lower cluster will show streaks of yellow. Now is the 

 time to hasten the ripening. This is done by wrapping a gunny sack 

 about the lower clusters of fruit and the trunk. Crows are ver>' fond 

 of the ripe fruit, and this expedient serves also to scare them away. 



