590 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March ], 1901. 
removcLl. or llie lJO■^t steel caniiat ba in mufac- 
tured. lb is Rot lid of by burning to a,n acid. 
Subsequently it was discovered that liy coinbiiiinc,' 
lime witli tiiis acid tlieie was produced a sub- 
stance called phosphate ot lime. Now, this 
phosphate of lime, lui.Ked with oxide of iron and 
some other refuse, 11 )ats on the top of the molten 
metal in the furnace, and is named basic si ij,'. 
When it has been remo>'ed and cooled down, 
it is ground to powder, and thus an excellent 
fertiliser has been obtained from a substance 
useless to the ironfoun.ler and the steel manu- 
facturer—the wiste of one industry becoming the 
support of another. 
This particular Thomas's phosphate combines 
lime and phosi)horic acid in the propoi lions of 
four to one, the lime being very soluble. 
When bones are converted, by being dissolved 
in one-third of their weight of sulphuric acid, 
a superphosphate of great value is produced, a 
value such that one bushel of superphosphate is 
equivalent to four bushels of simple lonedast. 
Other srperphosphates are the produce of those 
phosphoric deposits found in the South of England 
consisting of masses of broken bones and teeth 
of prehistoric monsters— gigantic sea- lizards, 
whales, sharks ; and also there are vast depor-its 
of so-called coprolites, now supposen to be fossi- 
lised excrements of the animals themselves. Thou- 
sands of tons of these are annually ground up 
and converted into superijhospliates for wiiieh 
there is immense demand in the farming dis- 
tricts all over the world. 
However, it is not our intention to give a list 
of phosphates or supei phosphates, but we wish 
to impress upon agriculturists the absolute necessity 
of supplying the phosphoric acid demanded by Held 
and garden crops, and of keeping up the supply. 
Consider what a quantity of phosphoric acid some 
cropi require. Wheat requires 60 lb. per acre; 
beans peas, &c., 80 lb. ; some oil-producing plants 
90 lb.; and small fruits 100 lb. Now, these 
quantities must be replaced, and stable manure 
alone is un;.bleto furnish them ; therefore if iieavy 
crops are demanded from the soil, it follows that 
an artificial mannro, in addition to the stable dung, 
is imperative. Here is a very clear statement 
showing the comparative phosphoric value of stable 
dung and Thomas's phosphate : JOG lb of hay de- 
mands from 1 lb. to IJ lb. of phosphoric acid , 100 
lb of stable dung contain only 2^ oz to 4 oz of the 
ingredient, so that it would require 600 lb of it 
at^least to furnish the phosphoric acid for 100 lb 
of wheat, wliereas, by using the artiiieial fertiliser- 
phosphate or superphosphate, 1"0 lb. would be 
enough for 1,6001b. of whea.t. — Queensland Agri- 
cultural Journal. 
MANGOES. 
In article No. .308 pnljlished in the issue of the 
Bulletin for July, 1899, it was stated as follows : — 
" There are several other mango trees in the 
Garden which will probably prove worthy of 
record later when they have been sufficiently 
examine<l." 
During the end of la t season several man- 
"oes were examined, and out of these seven 
have been s( b^cted for record, the figures and 
descriptions of which are now given. It has been 
thought advis;ib!e to im])ort, once more, a number 
of selected varieties from ilic K ist, and to this 
end application was made to the Indian authori- 
ties for the best kinds from the various provinces, 
and cases of plants have been ordered from the 
Bombay-Bengal and Madras presidencies. It is 
almost certain that we do not possess all the 
types of the various strains of mango grown in 
the East, and although our number of seedling 
varieties is legion, yet it is probable that the 
introduction of further East Indian kinds will 
be of great advantage in tiie endeavour to im- 
prove the strains now cultivated in the Western 
world. 
The "Maud" Mango.— A fine bold dark green 
mango having a most delicious melting flesh, 
without fibre, and perfectly sweet. Itis a seedling 
raised by the Hon'ble W. G. Gordon, and named 
in compliment to Mrs. Gordon. This mango must 
take its place among the best of our list. 
Deux-Doux. — This is a pretty little mango, 
and as its name indicates, jieculiaily sweet. It 
is one of those mangoes which the child needs 
no teaching to devour, as it only needs to 
follow on the lines on which it obtained its first 
nutriment to consume it to the greatest advantage. 
It Ls one of those mangoes to cut which spoils 
it. It has a soft melting pulp which will pass 
freely through a small hole made in the skin. 
St. James' Mango.— (Full size.) This is a seedling 
mango of peculiar form. It has a pronounced 
turpentine flavour, and a firm and rather fibrous 
sub-acid pulp, of a clean light yellow colour. 
1 he colour of the fruit when ripe is bright yellow. 
It could never be more than a second class mango 
at its best. 
Honey Mango.— Dark green fiuit, mottled 
yellow, with a slight ]jiirplish bloom. The flesh is 
soft and melting, very sweet, having a tlecided 
honey flavour. It has no trace of the turpentine 
taint so common among thj mangoes. 
Tiiic "Captain' Masgo.— This is a mango 
yellowish green spotted with yellow. The fruit 
has a decided mamillated point on the apex. 
The flesh is firm, without fibre, but with a 
decided turpentine flavour, which is more than 
covered by its extreme sweetness. This tree, 
though a large one, fruited for the first time 
in 1899. Being so far unknown to us, it has 
been named the " Captain " to distinguish it from 
others. 
The "Martin's" Mango.— The Martin's 
mango was first seen in July, 1899, when samples 
were kindly sent on to the Gardens by the Hon'ble 
C. Leotaud. It is a pretty fruit with a dne 
purplish bloom on the check, but in the main 
the colour is green, dotted with the small 
yellow spots common to most mangoes. On first 
taste there may be detected a suspicion of the 
turpentine flavour, but this is rather agreeable 
than otherwise, and before the fruit is eaten is 
entirely forgotten in the sweet and luscious 
flavour which overcomes it in the mouth. Tlie 
flesh is bright yellow, melting and rather meaty, 
with short fibre next the seed. The kind was 
received through the hands of French cultivators 
in Martinique. 
Dr. De Boissierr's Mango.— The following 
description is taken from a manuscript left by 
my predecessor, Mr, H. Prestoe, dated 15th July, 
1869: — " Flesh farinaceous-fibrous, bub very tender 
- strong mango flavour, M'ith only a dash of the 
turpentine taint ; bright orange colour outside as 
well as inside, round, lull and very succulent — 
a first-class mango — little liable to be attacked 
by rob or sourness." — Trinidad Bulletin, 
