Edible Products. 



82 



[July, 1908. 



one from the ground. The outer rind is 

 so thick and rough that from whatever 

 height it may fall it is never broken. 

 From the base to the apex five very faint 

 I ines may be traced over which the spines 

 arch a little ; those are the sutures of the 

 carpels and show where the fruit may be 

 divided with a heavy knife and a strong- 

 hand. The five cells are satiny white 

 within and are each filled with an oval 

 mass of cream-coloured pulp, imbedded 

 in which are two or three seeds about the 

 size of chestnuts. This pulp is the eatable 

 part, and Dr. Wallace describes its con- 

 sistence and flavour as indescribable. 



A rich, butter like custard highly fla- 

 voured withalmondsgivesthebestgeueral 

 idea of it, but intermingled with it come 

 wafts of flavour that call to mind cream- 

 cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry, and 

 other incongruities. Then there is a rich 

 glutinous smoothness in the pulp which 

 nothing else possesses, but which adds to 

 its delicacy. It is neither acid, nor sweet, 

 nor juicy, yet one feels the want of none 

 of these qualities, for it is perfect as it is. 

 It produces no nausea or other bad effects, 

 and the more you eat of it the less you 

 feel inclined to stop, in fact to eat 

 durian is, according to Dr. Wallace, worth 

 a voyage to the East to experience. The 

 only way to eat durians in perfection is 

 to get them ripe as they fall from the 

 tree. The smell is then over-powering. 

 In the Malay Archipelago ripefruit falling 

 occasionally strike a man working or 

 walking under the trees. When a durian 

 strikes a man in its fall it produces a 

 dreadful wound, the stong spines tearing 

 open the flesh. Death rarely ensues, the 

 copius effusion of blood perhaps prevent- 

 ing the inflammation which might other- 

 wise take place. At the present time 

 durian trees grown in private gardens in 

 Kemendine and Kokine are covered with 

 fruit promising an early and prolific 

 season. Dr. Wallace remarks that poets 

 and moralists, judging from English fruit 

 trees, have thought that small fruits 

 always grew on lofty trees so that their 

 fall should be harmless to man, whilst 

 large ones trailed on the ground. Two 

 of the largest and heaviest fruits known, 

 however, the brazil-nut fruit and durian, 

 grow on lofty forest trees from which 

 they fall as soon as they are ripe, and 

 often wound or kill the native inhabi- 

 tants. From this we learn two things, 

 first, not to draw general conclusions 

 from a very partial view of nature ; and, 

 secondly, that trees and fruits, no less 

 than the varied productions of the animal 

 kingdom, do not appear to be organised 

 with exclusive reference to the use and 

 convenience of man. [Indian Agricul- 

 turist, Vol, XXXIII., No. 4, April 

 1, 1908, 



MANURES FOR PINE- APPLES. 



The need for the application of large 

 quantities of fertilizers in the cultivation 

 of pine apples is emphasized in an article 

 in the Florida Agricidturist. This is on 

 account of the fact that many soils, well 

 adapted from the point of view of their 

 situation and physical conditions to pine- 

 apple culture, contain very little plant 

 food. By the provision of the necessary 

 constituents, however, the pine-apple 

 will live, flourish, and give good crops 

 for twelve or fifteen years. 



Organic manures, such as cotton seed 

 meal and dried blood, are preferable to 

 nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, 

 for the supply of nitrogen. A little 

 nitrate of soda may be given soon after 

 planting, but it is stated, as a conclusion 

 drawn from experiments carried out at 

 the Florida Experiment Station, that 

 the continued use of nitrate of soda or 

 sulphate of ammonia brings about a 

 spiky condition of the plants, and results 

 in the production of fruits of small size 

 and poor keeping quality. 



Basic slag appears to be the best 

 phosphetic manure for the pineapple 

 crop. Bone meal also gave satisfactory 

 results. Superphosphate was an unpro- 

 fitable fertilizer, and resulted in an 

 unhealthy condition of the plants with 

 lessened fruit return. In the Florida 

 Experiments, however, it was shown 

 that when the application of superphos- 

 phate was acfompanied with a good 

 dressing of lime, much better returns 

 were given. This is what would be 

 expected in view of the results obtained 

 with basic slag. 



A good supply of potash is also 

 essential to the proper development and 

 fruiting of the pine-apple. Sulphate of 

 potash is recommended as the most 

 suitable potassic manure, and as likely to 

 produce better results than kainit, apart 

 from the economy in freight observed 

 in purchasing the form?r. The following 

 is recommended as a good mixed manure 

 suitable for the pine-apple crop : Dried 

 blood, 735 lb. ; raw ground bone, 435 lb. ; 

 and low grade sulphate of potash, 925 lb. ; 

 making a total of 2,095 lb. per acre. 



The above is mentioned as a sufficient 

 quantity for the first year's growth of 

 the plants. Since a greater return of 

 fruit will be expected in the second year, 

 a heavier application of fertilizing con- 

 stituents should be made. The quantity 

 applied, in fact, should be in proportion 

 to the return of fruit that may reason- 

 ably be expected. Under average circum- 

 stances, however, no mure than 3,500 lb. 

 to 3,800 lb. of manure can be profitably 

 applied each year. — Agricultural News, 

 Vol. VII, No. 155. April, 1908, 



