April, 1912.] 



327 



Edible Products, 



But in any ease it must, I think, be 

 accepted that so long as India's prin- 

 cipal sugar-cane area lies outside the 

 tropics, so long will the yield per acre 

 remain far below that of the other 

 principal producing countries. 



CULTURAL DIRECTIONS FOR 

 PAPAYA (PAPAW). 



By P. J. Wester, 

 Horticulturist, Bureau of Agricul- 

 ture, Manila. 



(From the Queensland Agricultural 

 Journal, Vol. XXVIII., Part 1, 

 January, 1912.) 



The Philippines Bureau of Agriculture 

 has issued the following directions for 

 growing papaws, which should prove of 

 interest and be useful to growers of this 

 delicious fruit in Queensland :— 



Seed Bed— The seed bed should be 

 prepared by thoroughly pulverising the 

 soil by spading or hoeing the ground 

 well, and the clearing away of all weeds 

 and trash. Sow the seed thinly, about 

 1 to 2 centimeters apart, and cover the 

 seed not more than 1 centimeter with 

 soil, then water the bed thoroughly. In 

 the dry season it is well to make the 

 seed bed where it is shaded from the 

 hot midday rays of the sun under a 

 tree ; or it may be shaded by the erec- 

 tion of a small bamboo frame, on the top 

 of which are placed grass or palm leaves. 

 If the seed is planted during the rainy 

 season, a shed of palm leaves should 

 always be put up over the seed bed to 

 protect the seed from being washed out 

 and the plants from being beaten down 

 by the heavy rains. 



Transplanting.— When the plants have 

 attained a height of about 7 to 10 centi- 

 meters, they are ready to be trans- 

 planted to the place where they are 

 intended to grow. 



Unless the transplanting has been 

 preceded by a good rain, the plants 

 should be thoroughly watered before 

 they are removed from the seed bed. In 

 order to reduce the evaporation of water 

 from the plants until they are well 



established in their new quarters, about 

 three-fourths of the leaf-blades should 

 be trimmed off. 



In transplanting, take up the plants 

 with so large a ball of earth that as few 

 roots are cut or disturbed as possible. 

 Do not set out the young plant deeper 

 in the new place than it grew in the 

 nursery ; firm the soil well around the 

 roots, makiug a slight depression around 

 the plant, and water it thoroughly. 



In order to protect the tender plant 

 from the sun until it is established, it is 

 well to place around it a few leafy twigs 

 at the time of planting. It is well to 

 set out three plants to each hill, and, as 

 the plants grow up and fruit, to dig out 

 the males or the two poorest fruiting 

 plants. 



If the plants cannot be set out in the 

 field at the time indicated, transplant 

 them from the seed bed to a nursery, 

 setting out the plants about 20 to 30 

 centimeters apart in rows a meter apart, 

 or more, to suit the convenience of the 

 planter. While the best plan is to set 

 out the plants in the field before they 

 are more than 30 centimeters (12 in.) tall, 

 the plants may be transplanted to the 

 field from the nursery with safety after 

 they are more than 1'5 meters (59 in., 

 say, 5 ft.) high, provided that all except 

 young and tender leaf blades are re- 

 moved, leaving the entire petiole or leaf 

 stalk attached to the plant ; if the petiole 

 be cut close to the main stem, decay 

 rapidly enters it. If the entire petiole is 

 left, it withers and drops and a good leaf 

 scar has formed before the fungi have 

 had time to work their way from the 

 petiole into the stem of the plant. 



Treatment of Old Plants,— When a 

 plant has grown so tall that it is difficult 

 to gather the fruit, which also at this 

 time grows small, cut off the trunk about 

 75 centimeters (28 4/5 in.) above the 

 ground. A number of buds will then 

 sprout from the stump, and will form 

 several trunks that will bear fruit like 

 the mother plant in a short time. These 

 sprouts, except two or three, should be 

 cut off, for if all are permitted to grow 

 the fruit produced will be small. 



