Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-10-24
MANGoEs IN INDIA.
A Fruit That Grows in Abundance
,snd IL Highly Prized In That
Country.

India is the home Of the mango
They seem to grow everywhere in it's
tropical zone. They are found wild
in the jdngles and are highly cultivated
in gardens and mango groves. The
mango of Bombay is especially famous
and is one of the most highly priced
of Indian fruits, says w. T. Fee, con.
sui at Bombay, in Scientific American
The genus belongs to the cashew
family, Of which we have in the United
States native representative in the
"sumac." I believe there are some II
species known; some have been com
pletely naturaHzed in the West Indies
and other tropical countries. The
most important species is the Magni.
fera Indica or mango" the Indian
native name, of which there are nu.
merous varieties.
The tree il large and spreading, with
leathery, lanceolate leaves and large
terminal panicles of flowers. The
fruit, like the apple of the temperate
zone, varies greatly in size, shape,
color and flavor, being sometimes
three or more inches long. The larg.
est varieties weigh two pounds, but
they are usually not larger than a
goose egg. The mango is at first green,
then becomes partly red or orange
color. Beneath the tough skin there is
in the better varieties rich, fleshy,
delicious pulp, in the center of which
is large fiat stone, to which the in
ner portion of the pulp is attached by
coarse fibers, something after the
manner of our clingstone peach. The
poorer varieties are smaller in size,
tough and stringy, and are not edible,
on account of their strong flavor, of
turpentine. One writer compares them
to "a mixture of tow and turpentine.' -
The mango season CONNIE in this
part Of India in May and June, just be-
fore the monsoon. The ''Alfoos" Tor
Alphonso) is claimed to be the best
variety of the mango. The finest sell
in the Bombay markets at the begin
ming of the season at four rupees
($1.30) per dozen, and later drop in
price one-half. The other varieties
cost according to quality, some as low
as three annas (six cents) per dozen;
in fact, Jungle mangoes" may be had
for even less, but this wild kind is only
eaten by the natives.
marching is the favorite system of
improving the mango by grating in
Bombay.
The wood of the tree, together with
sandalwood, is used by the Hindoos for
burning. The bark possesses astrin-
gent properties, and when cut exudes
q resinous and astringent gum. The
natives make use of the leavesand leaf
stalks in hardening the gum, and the
undeveloped fruit (ground into a
pastel is claimed to possess vermifu-
gal properties. The seeds when boiled
are eaten in times of scarcity of other
food. ...I
The fruit is sent from the West In
dies in the form of sweetmeat, but in
that state the sweetness has displaced
the flavor. The green fruit, picked
and highly spiced, has for some years
been exported from India to England"
Fresh mangoes, for the first time,
have been exported in large numbers
from Bombay to London during the
present season. It is claimed that
they not only reach their destination
in fairly good condition, but are fetch
irg fancy prices, being superior to the
mangoes from the West Indies.
Almost all the fruits of the old world
are said to be improved by being trans
planted in American soil. If the Bonn
bay Alfoos mango can be thus i'm
proved. we shall have found delicious
fruit