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The Mango
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History
The
mango is one of the most widely cultivated fruits in the
tropical regions. It belongs
to the cashew family Anacardiaceae.
One
of the most widely cultivated fruits, it is considered
indigenous to Assam, Myanmar and some other parts of eastern
Asia. This delicious fruit was introduced to the western
world only in the eighteenth century. Some time around 1700,
it was imported to Brazil from where it was taken to the
West Indies about forty years later.
Cultivation
Although
the mango does not require any particular soil, the finer
varieties yield good crops only where there is a well-marked dry
season to stimulate fruit production. Where there is excess
rainfall, the flowers and tender fruits may be attacked by a
fungal disease known as anthracnose which destroys them. Once the
disease sets, it is very difficult to control it.
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Propagation
is done by grafting or budding. Approach grafting is widely
practiced in tropical Asia. However, it is a very tedious and
expensive method. In America, methods such as veneer grafting and
chip budding have been developed and are being used for commercial
production. |
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The
Mango tree
The
mango tree is a tall, evergreen tree. It also attains
great age. It can grow to a height of fifty to sixty feet.
The leaves of the mango are lanceolate (tapering to a
point to the apex and sometimes at the base too). The
leaves grow to a length of thirty centimeters or one foot.
Flowers
of mango trees are small, fragrant and have a pinkish tinge. The
flowers are generally borne in large terminal panicles or
pyramidal branched loose clusters. Some of them have
stamens and pistils, while some others have stamens only.
The
fruit
The mango fruit is a rich source of vitamins A, C, and D.
The fruit may be oval, round, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped or
simply long and slender. It comes in various sizes. The
smallest is just about the |
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size of a plum. The bigger ones
may grow to weigh four or five pounds. The
mango fruit has a single seed that is large and flat. The
flesh of the fruit is generally a shade in the orange to
yellow range. The flesh is very juicy and has a
distinctive spicy flavor. On the outside, the fruit may
be yellow, red or dull green in color. |
The
mango fruit is known by the same name (mango) in English and
Spanish countries. It
derives its name from the Tamil mankai.
When the Portuguese settled in western India, they adapted the
name and it came to be known as manga.
The fruit shares its name with a town in western Africa, which is
situated on the Oti River.
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