November, 1911.] 



415 



Edible Products. 



qualification, that they will take more 

 or less time to adapt themselves to the 

 new kind of legume. 



If inoculated soil from an old soy bean 

 field is not sown with the beans on new 

 land, and the proper bacteria are not 

 present already in the soil, it is neces- 

 sary to have a fair amount of available 

 nitrogen present to grow the plant. 

 Numerous experiments in other coun- 

 tries show that on soils poor in nitrogen, 

 the soy beans, without nodules on their 

 roots, make unsatisfactory growth. It 

 is also recognized that any of the 

 leguminous plants will not thrive on 

 an acid soil, mainly because the bacteria 

 are not in that case able to develop and 

 thrive ; therefore the importance of the 

 addition of lime to those lands to make 

 them alkaline, and also of the secondary 

 effect that the lime has of liberating 

 potash from clays, which is so necessary 

 for the growth of legumes. 



(4.) Depth of Sowing the Seed.— This 

 is another prolific cause of failure. For 

 our climate, the depth of sowing should 

 be as shallow as the moisture supply will 

 permit. There is less chance of failure 

 through the formation of a soil crust. 

 Near Melbourne, I have found that on 

 stiff soils it is sufficient to just cover 

 the seed ; 1 to 2 in. would be about the 

 right depth for the warmer parts of 

 Victoria. 



Other Causes of Failure may be due 

 to continued heavy rain falling and 

 rotting the seed, or injuring the young 

 tender plants before they are suffici- 

 ently developed. Hot north winds are 

 also dangerous. Rabbits, slugs and cut 

 worms are very partial to the young 

 plants. 



FRUITS WORTH GROWING 

 IN CEYLON. 



By H. F. Macmillan, f.i,.s., p.e.h.s. 



The following paper was read by Mr. 

 H. F. Macmillan at the meeting of the 

 Ceylon Board of Agriculture on Monday 

 noon, October 16th, 1911 : — 



Having received but very short notice, 

 I fear I can only give you a few cursory 

 notes on fruits worth growing in Ceylon. 

 The subject is a familiar one, but is 

 nevertheless of much importance to 

 most people in this island, and therefore 

 perhaps no apology for bringing it before 

 you once more is necessary. Out of the 

 large number of tropical fruits known to 

 us, there are obviously several that are 

 worth growing in Ceylon. Equally 

 certain, however, is the fact that many 

 of the fruits grown are not worth eating. 



A remarkable feature of tropical fruits 

 in general is their extraordinary dissimi- 

 larity, and, consequently, the great 

 diversity of tastes that exists regarding 

 them. Some have been described as 



" Edible, but not Worth Eating ;" 



whilst with others an acquired taste is 

 necessary in order to properly enjoy 

 them. Others again are eaten rather as 

 a matter of sentiment, than on account 

 of any seductive flavour, as for example 

 the Papaw and the Grape-fruit. A few, 

 on the other hand, have the peculiarity 

 of possessing extremely attractive quali- 

 ties to some people, while to others they 

 are emphatically things to be avoided. 

 The durian fruit might be given as an 

 example of the latter, for in spite of 

 Professor Russell Wallace's opinion that 

 "the experience of eating durians is 

 worth a visit to the East," equally 

 strong statements to the contrary have 

 been made by the other side. Pome- 

 granates are eagerly bought by some 

 people at as much as 50 cents each, but 

 the description of "shot steeped in 

 vinegar " seems to me more or less appro- 

 priate to this fruit as grown in Ceylon. 



So pronounced is the diversity of 

 tastes for tropical fruits in general, that 

 even such excellent kinds as the Avo- 

 cado-pear and Sapodilla, for instance, 

 have by no means popular estimation 

 unanimous in their favour. A corres- 

 pondent has recently expressed surprise 

 to me that the Sapodilla is not more 

 cultivated in Ceylon than it is, it being 

 in his estimation the most delicious 

 fruit he had ever tasted in the West 

 Indies. Another correspondent, in 

 Cuba, considers we lose a great treat in 

 Ceylon by not growing a fruit called 

 "Mamoncillo" (known botanically as 

 Melicocca bijuga), while an enthusiastic 

 friend in California anticipates that one 

 of the most promising fruits of the 

 future for warm countries is Feijoa 

 {Feijoa Sellowiana), to which has been 

 given the popular name of " Pineapple 

 Guava," as indicating its flavour. This 

 may sound tantalizing, but, without 

 disparaging the fruit in question, I 

 would sound a note of warning against 

 alluring names. Persons who are not, 

 for instance, familiar with the Lovi-lovi 

 and the Nam-nam fruits and expect 

 something exquisitely nice, will be 

 surprised to know that these may be 

 relied upon to bring water to the eyes 

 rather than to the mouth. It will thus 

 be seen that the question of what fruits 

 are worth growing is to some extent a 

 matter of individual taste. 



From the foregoing remarks it would 

 seem as if there was some need of edu- 



