Page transcription
MANGOSTEEN—MANGROVE
781
porting seeds (they retain their viability a short time only), introduction of the tree into the western hemisphere did not take place until about 1700, when it was planted in Brazil; thence it reached the West Indies about 1740. It has taken on the appearance of a wild species in many parts of tropical America, trees springing up everywhere from seeds scattered by the roadside. During the ripening season, mangos are a major foodstuff wherever grown.
Description.—The tree is evergreen, often reaching large size (50-60 ft.) and attaining great age. It is one of the favourite shade trees of the tropics. The leaves are lanceolate, up to 12 in. long; the flowers, which are small, pinkish and fragrant, are borne in large terminal panicles. They are polygamous, i.e., some have both stamens and pistil, others stamens only. The fruit varies greatly in size and character, as would be expected of a species (or combination of species) that has been in cultivation for a long time. The smallest mangos are no larger than plums, while others may weigh four or even five pounds. The form is oval, round, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped or long and slender. Some varieties are beautifully coloured with shades of red and yellow, while others are dull green. The single large seed is flattened, the flesh that surrounds it yellow to orange in colour, juicy and of delicious spicy flavour. Fryer, writing of mangos in 1673, said "for Taste, the Nectarine, Peach and Apricot fall short." Hamilton, who wrote in 1727, went even further. "The Goa mango," he declared, "is reckoned the largest and most delicious to the taste of any in the world, and I may add, the wholesome and best tasted of any Fruit in the World." There are ample grounds for considering the mango—as has been done by many writers—the "king of tropical fruits."
Most of the seedlings so abundant throughout the tropics do not represent this fruit at its best. While of good flavour, they are commonly characterized by coarse fibres throughout the flesh, which makes eating them disagreeable. In contrast, the fine grafted varieties that have originated in India and a few other regions, as well as seedlings of the race cultivated in the Philippines and other countries (known as Mangos de Manila in Mexico and Filipinos in Cuba), are almost devoid of fibre and are of excellent quality.
Distribution and Cultivation.—In 1889 the U.S. department of agriculture introduced into Florida the first of the grafted Indian varieties known in the United States—the variety Mulgoba, of superb quality but not highly productive. In subsequent years, mainly through the efforts of the Reasoner brothers and David Fairchild (q.v.), more than 50 other choice varieties were taken to the United States, whence the cultivation of several gradually spread to many parts of the American tropics. The British and French also introduced a number into the West Indies. Some of the best imported varieties are Pairi (known in Jamaica as Bombay), Borsha and Amini. In addition to these such varieties as Carabao from the Philippines and Saigon from Cambodia should be mentioned, as well as Julie, which first received horticultural attention in the French West Indies and later became popular in Jamaica.
Because of the failure of many varieties to produce regular and heavy crops of fruit, they have been replaced in commercial orchards by Haden (a seedling of Mulgoba that originated in Flor-
