Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-26

knowledge that the mango industry
has not thriyed as 1t should. Yet that
is more or less of libel On the mango.
The fruit grows wild In Cuba. In fact,
If it had not been for, the mango Spain
might have still been In possession OF
the island, for the insurgents were
able to live on nangoes when there
was nothing else for them to live on.
Probably every one Of the q, 1000 Amer
lean soldiers who poured into Cuba ate
mangoes. Some of them never repeated
the experiment. Yet there is q certain
seductive flavor to the fruit that makes
even civilized people eat it. There Is
spicy, aromatic flavor to 1t that Is
found in no other fruit and which will
make an otherwise respectable and
well conducted person eat 1t second
or third time, even with the certain
ty that he will have to turn the nose
on himself afterward.
But this is true only Of the common
or garden mango. The department Of
agriculture has collected mangoes from
all over the world, and Mr.. Oliver,
who IS In charge Of the tropical fruit
work and il himself mango enthusi-.
asst, says that there are many varieties,
two especially that can be eaten in po-
lite society. They are the Mulgoba and
the Alphonos, and they are the chief
sorts that the department is trying to
implant in the southern regions Of the
United States.
The best of the mangoes come from
India, where they have been cultivat-
ed for hundreds Of years, and the agri.
cultural department has got specimens
Of all the best varieties. The common
West Indian mango Is more or less
like short length Of hemp rope soak
ed in turpentine and brown sugar.
But the department has mangoes that
have scarcely any Of this woody fiber
in them, that will skin like plum and
that have all and more than the pc
culiar seductive flavor Of the West
Indian fruit. Altogether there are six
ty-two varieties In the collection, and
these have come from all quarters Of
the tropical world, from India, Africa,
Ceylon and the Malay archipelago.
When they have been brought to the
department they are grated on to the
stock of hardy seedlings, and from
these cuttings can be taken in great
quantities and "snarchsd' upon hardy
Seeding stock. There is one tree in
the department. greenhouse that has
furnished almost 100 cuttings, and the
average potted plant will give from
six to eleven bushes" in season,
each flush being potential cutting for
enarching, on hardy root.
The mango Is a little slower than the
orange in coming to bearing age.
About six years is the minimum, but
the trees ut that age are prolific and
probably will prove very profitable.
One Of the southern growers has In
formed tho department. that from elev-
en- trees he shipped in one season $219
worth Of fruit In the fourth year and
another that at six years one Of his
trees Noted him sos. The fruit Of
very inferior sort has been shipped In
small quantities to Chicago and sold
for 60 cents dozen, but 1nangoes in
Washington bring from 81 dozen up.
A mango plantation will take about
forty trees to the acre.
The native fruit in Porto Rico is ex-
ceedingly cheap, in some seasons fetch
ing from to 20 cents hundred. But
even at that figure, with the inferior
native fruit, the department has COL
lected statistics to show that for pre-
serving and canning the cheap native
fruit has III profitable uses. In fact,
the department has collected mum,
Der Of recipes for mango marmalade,
mango Jelly and mango chutney that
sound exceedingly well and indicate
that the preserves made at q very
small initial cost IN Porto Rico ought
10 ind good market in the United
States
Take 1t altogether, the mango is a
promising tropical fruit If one only Sc
lech the right varieties for cultiva
ton, and the aericuitural department
By 4 long course 9 experiments has
succeeded in ssketsns tie best vafie-
ties in the woetd for suss IN the DATED
States.