The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-08-19
1CULTlVATION OF PAPAYA
IN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

Ration in form. yet there are certain
well defined characteristics that distin-
guish this sort from the inferior ones.
First in Importance is their size. They
will average at least fifty per cent.
I. larger than any others, specimens
Weighing ten pounds being not uncom-
mon. Second. they differ from others
in color. When young. the immature
fruit is of a dark green color. when
ripe they are of rich golden color, or
sometimes of russell green overlaid
with gold. Their flesh is of rich
orange, firm, thick, juicy and rich, but
not quite as fine. This variety / con-
slider the best Of all for the market.
They are good shippers, remaining firm
till almost ripe, large, attractive and
good sellers.
One other variety ! would mention
as worthy of general cultivation. This
is the so-called dwarf" papaya While
this sort is in no respect a true dwarf,
yet its habit of growth is such that 1t
may be readily distinguished from all
others in a field.
The leaf stalk OF this papaya is short
and decidedly recurved. The result, es
pecially in a young tree Is trim,
compact little tree almost as symmetri-
cal as a kahili. AS the tree gets older
this characteristic is less marked. The
leaf stalk has also a decided violet hue.
This may be the violet" papaya that
grows to such a large size In the West
Indies.
The fruits of this variety set quite
freely on long stems. In this respect
it is similar to the half long" mention
ed above. But its fruits are of a more
decided pear shape. are smaller as
grown here, and are of lighter green
when half grown
In the winter months, this variety
was also quite marked in that it still
retained a decided green cast when
quite mature, SO that the fruit was
often rejected as being too green when
really quite ready for the table The
flesh in winter also seemed more juicy
and less sweet than any of the other
sorts The hot weather however has
changed all this. This fruits at this
writing being quite yellow and sweet
when ripe
While trees of this variety failed
under most favorable conditions to pro-
duce fruit of very large size, yet 1t is
a variety of decided merit, and some
dealers prefer something smaller than
the ten Founders 1t remains to speak
of two other varieties grown here that
are more or less distinct. The first is
the round variety with the short stem,
the mother papaya" of Mrs fuckers
song, the tree which has like the old
woman who lived in shoe, $50 many
r. no WI ~ to 10
This variety was. l suspect. the first
one introduced into Hawaii, and doubt
less was responsible for the fact that
papayas We're long considered only as
pig food in Hawaii.
This is the variety that You don't
want to save seed from-this and the
next one, the long bell-shaped sort.
The latter will rival the former in the
number of fruits it will set. l have
counted eighty on a single tree, but
not one reached a marketable size. No
doubt the size might be increased in
both of these varieties by thinning
them out, but l doubt if they would
ever equal the other sorts.
These five species, with variations are
all that | have yet observed here in
Hawaii unless the fruit of the so-called
male tree be called a variety. These
are very sweet but of no value. 1t
would be an interesting experiment
however to see what kind of trees one
would raise from their seeds.
our choice of seed then seems to lie
among three varieties, the long, the
half-long and the dwarf Before we
leave this branch of our subject, how
al var IL h.a ,Lz
likelihood of our getting bearing trees
after all our trouble.
1t has been common experience to
plant IA number of trees and after car
ing for them for several months to
find that instead of having well ball
anced orchard one has a barren field.
OF course there is no such difficulty
with the long papaya, but with all
others it is a serious problem and any
light on it would be OF great value.
a prominent gardener in the Islands
Is responsible for the statement that
seed from the -ruit of old trees will
produce a large proportion of bearing
trees, while that from young trees will
produce mostly males. II this is true il
is we'll worth remembering.
Many people have studied the young
plant trying 10 detect some sign by
which the two could be known when
quite young; but this is to say the least
very difficult. II the matter can be
determined in the seed so much the
better.
In this connection it might be well
to mention the fact that trees have
actually been changed from the flower
ing or male TO the frut-bearing or
female simply by persistent breaking
off of the blossoms, or by topping, till
they show signs Of reforming. This
sounds rather tishy. but it has actually
been done by several people in the Is
lands.
| have, however demonstrated to my
own satisfaction that this method is
not a success on a large scale, as II
takes long time for new blossoms To
appear and ten TO one the old type
will persist through several periods of
In flpt | have paVar Nat