Edible Products. 



m 



[May, 1909. 



The chief features of the ripening pro- 

 cess with the mango are changes in the 

 proportions of starch, sucrose, and citric 

 acid, together with a loss in weight. 

 Five mangoes, which originally weighed 

 1,139-3 grammes, lost 18 grammes in 

 weight, when kept for three days in a 

 cool place. Of this loss, 4'558 grammes 

 consisted of carbon dioxide. As in the 

 case of the bananas, a mango fruit from 

 a parcel having practically the same 

 initial maturity was daily analysed. As 

 a result, it was observed that the pro- 

 portion of starch present declined from 

 8 - 53 in the unripe mangoes to nil in the 

 ripe fruit, while on the other hand, 

 during the same period, the sucrose 

 increased from 257 to 12*27 per cent. 

 Later on the sucrose becomes hydrolysed 

 and split up into glucose and fructose. 

 Citric acid, which is the only acid found 

 present in the mango, diminished from 

 1*31 per cent, in the unripe stage, to 010 

 in the ripe fruit. The acid is not neutral- 

 ized in any way during the ripening 

 process, but is destroyed as the result 

 of the respiratory process, and given 

 off chiefly as carbon dioxide. 



Tamarinds were also dealt with, and 

 the composition of the pulp of these 

 fruits, in several stages of riper ess, ex- 

 tending over a period of more than two 

 months, is given by Mr. Geerligs. 

 Starch was present in green tamarinds 

 to the extent of 3'33 per cent., but five 

 weeks later all the starch had been 

 transformed — not into sucrose — but into 

 a mixture of glucose and fructose. 

 During the ripening process, the pro- 

 portion of these two sugars present 

 increased from 040 and 0-33 per cent, 

 to 20*4 and 11*6 per cent, respectively. 

 Tne acid of the tamarind is tartaric acid; 

 of this, the total proportion present in 

 the green fruit is 4 85 per cent., and in 

 the ripe fruit, 16'4 percent. In ripening, 

 too, a large amount of water is evapor- 

 ated, causing the fruit to shrink con- 

 siderably within the pod. A good deal 

 of acid is consumed by respiration after 

 the tamarind has reached the stage of 

 ripeness. 



Another tropical fruit, the ripening of 

 which was investigated, is the sapodilla. 

 Sapodillas are plucked tree ripe, in 

 which state they are green aud hard, 

 and contain gutta-percha and tannin 

 dissolved in the sap, which render the 

 fruit unfit for eating. After keeping lor 

 a short while, however, the gutta-percha 

 and tannin become insoluble, and the 

 fruit becomes full-flavoured and pala- 

 table. In the ripe sapodilla, the coagul- 

 ated gutta-percha may be seen as a 

 series of white threads, while the tannin 

 is deposited as insoluble matter in 

 certain cells. 



These changes constitute the whole 

 phenomena of lipening in the case of the 

 sapodilla. There is no transformation 

 of starch into sugar, since no starch 

 whatever exists in the fruit at auy stage 

 of the ripening process. Further, the 

 amount of sugar present before and 

 after full ripening is the same. 



It may be added that from the result 

 of experiments described in detail, Mr. 

 Geerligs comes to the conclusion that, 

 in the case of the banana and the mango, 

 the rapid transformation of starch into 

 sugar is one of the vital processes of 

 these fruits, and not a consequence of 

 the action of some enzyme or soluble 

 ferment. — Agricultural Neivs, Vol. VIII., 

 No. 176, January 23. 1909. 



PLANTING SUGARCANE IN CUBA. 



The Cuban- American, published at 

 La Gloria, Cuba, in the interest of the 

 Cuban Land and Steamship Company, is 

 urging the new settlers in the country 

 to plant some sugarcane, and states that 

 since their last bi-weekly issue they had 

 reports of 35 acres additional being so 

 planted. It would seem that the dis- 

 position of the promoters and backers 

 of the town of La Gloria, which is 

 located on the north side of Cuba, is 

 to utilise cane as a prominent crop, 

 beginning in a small way until the set- 

 tlers have become familar with the 

 business. It is said inciJentally that 

 because sugar is a good thing for the 

 colony, the Cuban- American is disposed 

 to push it along. It advises the planting 

 of some cane, even if it be but a single 

 acre, and says that it will cost about 

 i?60 to clear and plant an acre in cane, 

 and that it will not need replanting for 

 at least five years, and out of these 

 five years' work a very material profit 

 is expected, as well as a considerably 

 increased area in sugar cane. As soon 

 as the sugar cane is two to three feet 

 high, it is expected to shade itself and 

 keep down t he weeds and to need practi- 

 cally no labour, excepting during har- 

 vest, all of which may sound a little 

 novel to Louisiana readers. It is ex- 

 pected that with the development of 

 caue culture in that vicinity a competent 

 sugar factory will be erected, and that 

 La Gloria will become a conspicuous 

 sugar centre.— Louisiana Planter and 

 Sugar Manufacturer, Vol. XLIL, No. 7, 

 February, 1909. 



FEEDING VALUE AND FLAVOUR 

 OF NUTS. 



An interesting article in the Year- 

 book of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture (1906) deals with the use 

 of nuts as food for man, and gives a. 



