The mango, which is a native of South Asia, is extensively cultivated throughout India, the Islands of the West Indies, and somewhat in Florida. In Hawaii it has become thoroughly naturalized, and is one of the most common trees; growing from the sea level up to about 1,000 feet.

A hot, rather dry, climate, with well-drained soil suits it best. It is an evergreen, shady tree of quick growing habit, sometimes reaching a height of 70 feet, and having a round, dense top. All parts of the mango tree have a resinous fragrance, that suggests turpentine. Its thick, shiny leaves are from 6 to 10 inches in length. The greenish, scented flowers are borne in large terminal panicles; and these are followed three or four months later by the fruit, which is large and kidney-shaped, having a smooth, rather soft, pale-green skin, with tints of yellow and red. The large seed is nearly as long as the fruit, its shell is rough and fibrous, and the kernel is shaped like a bean. In the inferior varieties of mangoes the pulp is full of fibre and tastes strongly of turpentine. There are numerous varieties of the mango cultivated in Hawaii; the fruit of which varies much in point of flavor, juiciness, as well as in the size and shape of the seed.

Within the past ten years improved varieties have been imported; notably the Alphonse, Cambodiana, Pirie, and many others. These have thrived well and have borne delicious fruit; from them many grafts have been made and the finer grades of mangoes have been disseminated. Propagation is effected by seed, by grafting or inarching, and by budding. The mango as a rule does not come true to seed; also seedlings take much longer to fruit than do the grafted trees.

The illustration on the opposite page is that of the so-called common mango, which was brought to Hawaii from Mexico.