THE WEST INDIAN FRUIT INDUSTRY. 



641 



During 1903 a further batch of 500 seedlings was also raised. 



Mr. Fawcett, in his report for 1902-3, remarks : — " Mr. Harris 

 deserves credit for having raised the seedlings. If only one improved 

 fruit be obtained from the whole number of seedlings, it will be well worth 

 all the time and trouble spent over it ; but probably it is too much to 

 expect to get even one improved variety out of this number." 



The progress of the experiment will be watched with interest. 



Mangos. — A large number of varieties of the Mango, good, bad, and 

 indifferent, occur in the West Indies, and, unfortunately, in many instances 

 but little care is taken to propagate the better ones. For several years 



Fig. 197.— Papaw. 



grafted Mangos of good varieties have been distributed from the botanic 

 stations, and recently an impetus has been given to the work of improving 

 the local production of Mangos by the discovery of a reliable method of 

 budding. (See W. Harris, " Bulletin, Department of Agriculture, 

 Jamaica," vol. i., 1903, p. 253.) 



By the adoption of this method it is possible to convert old, almost 

 worthless, trees into valuable plants, without the long waiting period 

 necessary when young grafted plants are used. 



Avocado Pears. — Budding experiments are also in progress in Jamaica 

 on the Avocado Pear. A large variety of forms occur in the islands, and 



