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superior manner for several
plan I have usually followed givi
August, and September ; and about the micldle of October to replace it
tan, This summer, however, I was obliged to alter my m o d e; for, ju st a ^
to put it out for its winter, it became covered with a t least twenty bunches of the finest flowers possible ;
I was therefore obliged to let it rcimain where it was. The present year’s treatment, therei'ore, is an
exception to the former practice ; under that, it usually breaks into flower about the end of December,
and the fruit becomes ripe in March or April. The last time my plan t was in frnit, Sir William Coke,
who had resided many years in Ceylon, where he is a t present, was with me a t Blithfield ; he told me
th a t he was in the constant habit of eating very large quantifies of th e fruit daily in that island, but that
he had never tasted any so good, and with so much flavour, as those produced in my garden.”
4934. The Mango Tre e {M a n g ife ra in d ica L . ; Bo t. R e p . 425.; P e n t. Monog. L. and T e r e b in th d c e a J .)
(j?g. 842.) is a large spreading tree, like the walnut, with
lanceolate shining green leaves, 7 in. or 8 in. long, having
a sweet resinous sm e ll; tho flowers are white, growing in
bunches at the extremity of the branches. The fruit a
drupe, large, kidney-shaped, covered with a smooth, soft-
ish, resinous, pale-green, yellow, or half-red skin, and con.
taining an ovate,woody, librous, compressed n u t or stone,
within which is an ovate kernel, soft and pulpy, like a
damascene plum. “ When ripe, it is replete with a fine
agreeable juico ; it oats like an apple, but is more juicy,
and some are as big as a man’s fist. It is esteemed a very
wholc^some fruit, and, except very fine pine-apples, is preferable
years at Blithfteld, gives th e following outline of his practice : — “ The
has heen to give it a winter (out of doors) during the months nf .Tuly,
a very v a situation in the
lg
to any fruit in In d ia : gentlemen there eat little
other fruit in the hot months. In Europe we have oniy
th e unripe fru it brought over in pickle.” {M a r ty n , in
M ille r ’s D ie t.) It is a native of th e East Indies, and was
introduced in 1690 ; but has not yet been cultivated for its
fruit. According to Governor Ilafflcs, forty varieties of
mango are known in Java.
493.5. P ro p a g a tio n a n d cu ltu r e . It may be increased by
cuttings, like the gardenia, which it somewhat resembles
in habit, or from nuts ; but as the vegetative quality of
these does not seem to admit of long preservation, they
must be enveloped in wax, or otherwise managed (4875.),
to preserve it. Miller says, the tree will not thrive in the
t a n -p it; and he recommends the dry stove, a temperate
heat, and light kitchen-garden earth. This tre e seems
particularly deserving culture for its fruit, both on account of its quality, and the plants not requiring
so much heat as most of the other untried Indian fruits. Knight raised some mango plants from seeds
in October, 1818, -which, in the following March, shot very vigorously in a temperature of 60° ; he was
“ much inclined to believe th a t the mango might be raised in great abundance, and considerable p erfection,
in the stove, in this co u n try ; for it is a fru it which acquires maturity within a short period. It
blossoms in Bengal in January, and ripens in the end of May.” { I lo r t . T ra n s ., vol. iii. p. 463.)
4936. The Mangostan, Mangosteen, or M a n g u s tin , is the GarchiVA Mangostitna L . { L am . III. t. 405.);
Dod. Monog. L . and Guttiferce J. {Jig. 843.). It is a tree
rising nearly 20 ft. high, with a taper stem, sending out
many branches, not unlike a fir ; with oval loaves 7 in. or
8 in. long. The flower is like that of a single rose ; the
fruit round, tho sizeof a middling orange ; the shell is like
that of th e pomegranate, th e inside of a rose-colour, divided
by thin partitions as in oranges, in which th e seeds
are lodged, surrounded by a soft juicy pulp, of a delicious
flavour, partaking of the strawberry and the grape, and i.s
esteemed one of th e richest fruits in the world. It is a
native of the Molucca islands, whence it has been transplanted
to Java and Malacca. ’J'he head of the tree is in
- .. 'f a p a ... .
beautiful, that it is looked upon in Batavia as th e tree
most proper for adorning a garden, and affording nn agreeable
shade. It was introduced to England in 1789. According
to Dr. Garcin {P h il. T r a n s .) , “ it is esteemed the
most delicious of the East Indian fruits, and a great deal
of it may be eaten without any inconvenience : it is the
only fruit which sick people are allowed to eat without
scruple. It is given with safety in almost every d isorder;
and we are told that Dr. Solander, in the last stage of a
putrid fever in Batavia, found himself insensibly recovering
by sucking this delicious and refreshing fruit. The
pulp has a most happy mixture of th e ta rt and sweet, and
is no less salutary than pleasant.”
4937. P ro p a g a tio n a n d c u ltu re . It may be raised from seeds or cuttings ; and in procuring tho seeds
from th e East Indies, tlte same precautions must be taken as suggested for those of the mango (4935.).
Miller says. “ the surest way to obtain the plants, is to sow th e seeds in tubs of earth in their native
country, and when the plants have obtained strength, they may be brought to E u ro p e ; but th ere should
be great care taken to screen them from salt water in their passage, as also not to give them too much
water when in a cool or temperate climate. When the plants arrive in Europe, they should be carefully
transplanted each into a pot filled with light kitchen-garden earth, and plunged in the tan-bed, and
shaded from the sun till they have taken new root. Then treat them as suggested for fruiting other stove
plants.”
4938. The P ish am in , or E u ro p e a n d a te plum. {D io sp y ro s L b tu s {M ill. I c . t. 116.); Po lyg . D ia 'c . L.
and Edewííccí© B. P .), is a small tree, rising 15 ft. or 20 ft. high, with spreading branches, and large
sinning lanceolate leaves. The flo-wers are smah, of a reddish-’ ..............................................wiiUe;"the¥ruUis‘a berry 'half ilf an an'incMn
inch in
diameter, yellow when n pe, sweet, and somewhat a strin g e n t: it is used, like th e medlar, in a state c
of
incipient (lecay. ^ It is a native e of Italy and some parts of France ; was introduced to this thi
country i
Gerard’s time, and will grow in the open air, b u t not ripen its fruit freely.
4939. P ro p a g a tio n a n d cuUure. It m ay b e raised from seeds sown in a hotbed and afterwards hardened,
or from layers ; but when it is intended to fruit the plant, it may be procured from Genoa of a
good size, and, planted in a temperate forcing house, it will not fai! to mature its fruit.
4940. The G ranadilla, or liUlc p om eg ra n a te . This name is applied to the edible fruit of five species of
th e genus P a s s ifió ra ; Monadél. P e n tá n . L. and P a s s ifib r a J . ; the common character of which is tliat
of climbing herbaceous plants, woody a t bottom, generally with lobed leaves, and all natives of warm
climate.?.
both fruit .and flowers growfog a r th ? same «me m August and September,
J ie leaves three-lobed, and of considerable s iz e ; the
flowers proceeding from the axilla; of the leaves fragrant,
and of a white colour, tinged with purple. ’ The
dark hr v id purple, and much resemfr bles thec hfrapnigt eosf ttoh ea
purple egg-plant. The shape is elliptic, U in . in diameter,
and 2 in. iVom the stalk to the top ; the pulp is
oraiigc-colqurod, ami tbe seeds are numerous : th e taste
¿ I d , and the flavour somewhat like th at of the orange.
It IS a native of the Brazils, was introduced from Por-
tugal by Boehm, in 1810, and has produced fruit abun-
ffiintly in tlm stoves a t Walton on Thames, at the royal
gardens a t Windsor, and other places. Such is the rapid
growth of this species, th a t a single plant will in 6ne
season extend in a hne over upwards of 40 ft. of class
fr "'fr' produce from 400 to .500 fruit ” ’
or M a y apple, is
the P . m carnc lta L. {Abb. in Geor. t. 12.) 'Phc raot is
perennial sending up annually a number of herbaceous
shoots, with three-lobed leaves, and sweet -scented flow-
ers, variegated with purple, which appear from July to
September. The truit when ripe is ahout the size of an
apple, orange-coloured, with a sweetish yellow pulp. It
IS a native of Virginia, was cuitivatcd in the open air bv
afterwards by Miller in the stove, with whom it bore frnit
A ll'iE fs fe l'e s t e l T S ! ’t e " " « * P u r e l l i f e f e t a n t i t e
angle of the bark-bed, w.
goes. At the bottom of
tlirough the partition into tlie pit, groivinf into the fresh t™ W h r i f e W ’ t a " a «'’«■’
wwlliieen„e?r,eerr the tan Is changed ; Dlint isiZioul l‘ddtHaile]f ppl°aln.it„ htaavSei bhffee„ ss oo ffee Zf ef ,effee.f' ie"it sa ft ae fref tea Z. t of 'e' t a u c c d
the inclined glassYf the stoveTfo/ first flow/rs wil « "d u n d /;
September, the fruit setting the whole time ; but if it d S e f n / t S wSu it wiH h / y i / f 'V i
the stigmas, by applying the pollen with a feather. As th “y m-mv the vZ rv J l n n t li Z j ?
out, Irom their origin, for these do not bear frnit nh,,nfiLyi?, Vi 5 ^ ? " ^ shoots should be cut
the fruitmg branches must not he shortened on a n v ¥ c o nm ^ / } / vigorous; hut
during the time of flowering and fruiting : the c ro jw ill b/cin fo riiy/ifoyy! T f ^ ^ u p equally,
until J an u a ry ; but the earlier produce is the best When tlm 4 Z Z l continue
¿ n u a ry , the heat must be redu/ed to about 50°, so ks to chock / r ston tbk
the shoots must be well cut in. As little old wood noL-femfo k i r , this being effected,
4J4«. P r o p a g c io n a n d caUm c. The nuts are to bo planted where they .are designed lo roiuain, as tlio
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