April i, 1895.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRADE IN 
TROPICAL FRUITS. 
The subject of the importation into this country of 
tropical fruits has occupied a considerable amount of 
attention for many years past, and more particularly 
since the period of the Indian and Colonial Exhibition 
iu 1886, and, notwithstanding that a good deal has been 
done in this direction by bringing freshly-gathered 
fruits in fast-going steamers, the variety has not yet 
become very great, and there are numerous products of 
the tropics the flavour of which is totally unknown to 
the ordinary English palate. 
There are, no doubt, difficulties in the way of bring- 
ing these products of far off climes to our shores in a 
proper condition, under which they would recommend 
themselves for consumption in the Eng ish market, but 
there are many fruits that might be well preserved in 
syrup, in a similar manner to that which is now so 
successfully accomplished with the pineapple from 
China, Singapore, and the Bahamas. Some fruits es- 
pecially lend themselves to this kind of treatment, 
having little or no flavour to recommend them in their 
fresh state, but when treated with syrup or candied with 
sugar the flavour is developed or increased to such an 
extent that the fruit becomes much more valuable. As 
an instance of this may be mentioned the fruits of the 
rose apple or jambosa (Evgenia jumbos), a small tree 
of India, but cultivated in many tropical countries, 
where it is planted for hedges, for the purpose of giv- 
ing shade and for ornament, as well as for the sake of 
the fruits which have a rose-like fragance, with usu- 
ally but very little taste. These fruits, though called 
rose apples, would more properly be called rose pears, 
as they are more or less pear-shaped, but they vary 
very much in size and colour, some being white, while 
others are rose-pink. They are produced in very great 
abundance, and in many countries are a waste product, 
the insipid taste of the fresh fruit being no recommen- 
dation to them. Preserved, however, in sugar or 
syrup, and formed into "candied rose apples," they 
become quite a tasty fruit, though they have never ap- 
peared in the English market. Closely allied as they 
are to the guava {PsiMwnt i/ui/ava), we might expect 
them to be of some, value, for these latter fruits are not 
unknown to us, being sliced and bottled in syrup, as 
well as preserved iu tins and sold under the name of 
Geneva cheese. There seems no reason then why the 
rose apples should not become an article of commerce 
in this country if it were preserved in syrup, or crysta- 
lised guavas might likewise be utilised to a much 
greater extent than they are. Indeed, throughout the 
whole range of tropical fruits which the stay-at home 
Englishman does not get a chance of tasting, there is 
wide field for experiment. Mangoes [Mdngifera indiea) 
in their numerous varieties, litcuis (Nephelium litchi). 
longana (Nephelium longannm), rambutans {Nephe- 
lium lappaccum), and a host of others might be men- 
tioned which are common enough in their own coun- 
tries, and which we sometimes see here, but only in 
small quantities, and for the most part, too expensive 
or general use. 
Whatever the mango may be in its fresh state — and 
opinions are very much divided upon it by those who 
are qualified to speak from having eaten the fruits in 
their own countries — it is certain that preserved in 
syrup, as we sometimes see it in this country, it is 
!)asty and a good addition to our rather limited course 
of dessert fruits in the winter season ; besides this the 
mango can be converted into an excellent jelly, and 
when we are told by the superintendent of the Bota- 
nical Department in Jamaica, in a bulletin issued from 
that department, that "tons of the fruit of the common 
mango are wasted every year," a justification seems to 
exist for bringing this subject prominently forward, and 
for the benefit of those who havo the opportunity to try 
the experiment, and who may have the materials at hand, 
the r< cipe given in the bulletin before mentioned is here 
reproduced. "Pare and boil the mangoes, and when 
the pulp is soft, take it from the seeds and press 
it through a brass or copper wire sieve (iron wire 
spoils tho colour) with a wooden spoon, weigh the 
pulp, and with an equal quantity of white sugar boil 
until it jellieB, then pour or ladle into bottles or jars. 
£Hq fruit jpuet be frequently stirred during the first. 
and constantly during the second, process. The pulp 
should be thick after it comes through the sieve, if 
not, it must be reduced by more boiling before the 
sugar is added. The mangoes are better green, but 
they should be perfectly full; a little lime juice can 
be used, if desired, for flavouring." 
The aril, or fleshy portion of the litchi, which, in 
its fresh and ripe state, is such a delicious morsel, 
could scarcely be treated in this fashion, but after 
the shell has been removed, and the stone taken 
out, the fleshy portion could be placed in tins and 
soldered down, as is done successfully with pines ; 
and there is no doubt that so treated there would be 
a large European demand for them. The longan 
and rambutan might be preserved in the same way, 
though it is possible they would not meet with the 
same favour as the litchi. Among species of Passi- 
jiora, 1 here are several well-kuown fruit-producers, 
natives of the West Indies and the neighbouring 
-iouth American continent, which like the rose 
apple would probably be improved by preserving in 
the manner already referred to ; the same may be 
said of the fruits of the naseberry, or sapodilla plum 
(Achras sapota) ; a native of tropical America, but 
now cultivated in other parts of the tropical world for 
its excellent fruit, which, when dead ripe, has some- 
what the taste of a medlar. The Japanese kaki, or 
date plum (Diospyros Kaki), is another fruit having 
some botanical affinities to the last, and. like it, must 
be fully ripe befoie it is fit for eating. A large 
number of varieties of the kaki are cultivated both in 
China and Japan, and when preserved in sugar, as is 
done by the Japanese, they are much valued. They 
are also eaten fresh, or dried in the sun. 
All these fruits just referred to are comparatively 
well-known to travellers, but there are others not so 
well-known that have equal, or even stronger points, 
to recommend them, such, for instance, as the Kei 
apple, the fruit of a shrub, native of the Cape of Good 
Hope and Kaffirland. It is a fleshy, globular fruit, 
about the size of a walnut, and is much used by the 
natives when fresh, on account of its agreeable acid 
taste ; it is also used as a pickle, and, when ripe, 
made into a really good preserve. Another South 
African fruit which has been described as the best 
native fruit of the country, is the amatungula 
[Carissa r/randiftora) ; they vary in size, from that of 
a large olive to small round plum ; they have a 
reddish colour at first, but change as they ripen to a 
dark violet hue. The flavour is an agreeable sub-acid, 
and they make excellent preserves, which are much 
valued in Natal, where the fruit is known as the 
Natal plum. 
These thoughts concerning new sources of fruit 
supplies in the winter season, when fresh fruits are 
practically unattainable, are brought to mind more 
vividly by the exposition, in the shops and markets of 
London and other large towns, of delicacies, in the 
shape of preserved and crystallised fruits, which are, 
for the most, part the French exports. When we see the 
fleshy fruits of the almond, the small cumquats, 
chinois, apricots, pears, cherries, and even the com- 
mon chestnut, which, in its fresh state, is so indigesti- 
ble, treated in the way they are, it is surprising that 
something has not been done to extend the list, and 
develop the resources which are ready for use.— 
Journal of the Society of Arts. 
HARDY BAMBOOS. 
These unique and beautiful plants are at pre- 
sent being largely employed in the embellishment 
of fio.wer gardens and pleasure grounds, and now 
that their claim to be considered hardy has been 
thoroughly established they will doubtless in the 
future play a still more important part in the 
ornamentation pf gardens generally. This they 
deserve to doi for when well established they 
create a distinct feature, and impart quite a 
tropical appearance to many an otherwise un- 
attractive spot. Although the varieties which I 
shall presently enumerate may with safety be 
regarded a- hardy in England, they eUquld, if 
possible, be planted in sheltered positions, where. 
