INDIAN MANGOS. 



755 



INDIAN MANGOS. 



By C. Maries, F.L.S., V.M.H. 



During my last visit to England I noticed articles about Mangos in the 

 newspapers, and I saw some fine fruit of a good Bombay variety (Peary 

 or Peter) in a shop near New Street Station, Birmingham, priced id. 

 each. This fruit would cost that in Bombay market. I also heard of 

 consignments of fruit being sent from Bombay, but I never knew if the 

 venture was profitable or not. I think the ordinary English fruit-eater 

 is tempted more by the cheapness of a new fruit than by its looks, and 



Fig. 319.— Nakkua or Nose Mango. 



Colour— Vsile golden yellow at the apex, passing gradually into orange-red at the 

 stalk, and with a rosy-whitish bloom. 



very few would give 4c?. even, except for curiosity, and a Mango being a 

 fruit most difficult to judge of the stage of its ripeness, the probability is 

 the buyer would not waste another Ad. on such fruit. On the other hand, 

 he might perhaps get a really good one, and if he did he would never 

 forget it. It will be a long time before Mangos can be landed in 

 England for Id. each. That is about the price paid in Mango districts 

 here in India, six rupees a hundred. With Mangos all depends upon 

 the stage of their ripeness. If too ripe, a rotten turnip is better ; or, if 

 too unripe, the "tow and turpentine" is predominant. They are even 

 worse than Melons to judge of the proper stage of ripeness in which 

 to eat them, and one day too much or too little makes all the difference 

 in flavour. Then again England, except on very hot days, is not the 



