The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-16

The State Department is in receipt of
an interesting report from the United
States Consul at Bombay, India, on a
namely, the transportation of the de-
licious Bombay Alfoos mango, the most
highly priced of Indian fruits. The East
Indian mangoes are greatly esteemed in
the London markets, where they always
fetch fancy prices, as they are superior
to the mangoes brought from the West
Indies William Thomas Fee, our con-
SUI gives the following particulars con-
corning the fruit
The genus belongs to the cashew fam
lily. of which we have in the United
States a native representative in the
'sumac' / believe there are some four
teen species known; some have been COM
pletely naturalized in the West Indies,
and other tropical countries. The most
important species is the Afangifera In
dica, or mango the Indian native name,
of which there are numerous varieties.
THE tree is large and spreading, with
leathery, lanceolate leaves and large
terminal panicles of flowers. The fruit,
like the apple of the temperate zone, va
ries greatly in SIZE shape, coior and
flavor. being sometimes three or more
inches long. The largest varieties weigh
two pounds, but they are usually not
larger than a goose egg. The mango is
at first gren, then becomes red or or
ange color. Beneath the tough skin
there is in the better varieties rich
heshy, delicious pulp, in the center of
which is a large fiat stone, to which the
inner portion of the pulp is attached by
coarse fibers something after the man
ner 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 compared them to mixture of
tow and turpentine.'
The mango season commences in this
part of India in May and June, just be-
fore the monsoon. The 'Alfoos Tor AL
phonse) is claimed to be the best variety
of the mango. The first sell in the Bonn
bay markets at the beginning of the sea-
son at 4 rupees (s1.3G per dozen, and
later drop in price one-half. The other
varieties cost according to quality. some
as low as annas &c cents) per dozen; in
fact, Jungle mangoes may be had for
only 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 astringent
properties, and when cut exudes a resin
Gus and astringent gum. The natives
make use of the leaves and leaf stalks
in hardening the gum, and the undevel-
oped fruit tground into a paste) is claim
ed to possess vermifugal properties. The
seeds, when boiled, are eaten In times of
scarcity of other food"
1t appears that the mango trade be-
tween Bombay and London is develop
ing into a considerable commerce. Odd
ly enough. the wooden boxes used by
the Standard Oil Company in shipping
case oil to India are utilized in this en-
terprise
On the request of a horticulturist of
West Palm Beach, Indian River, Flor
ida, Mr.. Fee says he is shipping thence
in a specially made case with plate-glass
top. twelve mango gratis of nine differ
ent varieties. This is the second ship
ment the first being made about this
time last year, but on account of the de-