Santol

The common santol tree grown in the Philippines is about 15 meters high. The fruit is rounded and has a very think pericarp. The fruit which is greenish- yellow when ripe contains seeds. The pulp is slighty acidic but a good flavor.

The ripe fruit is used for flavoring certain dishes. The ripe fruit is rich Vitamin C and substantially high in carbohydrates and iron.

The bark is pounded and prepared as poultice on the skin affected with ring worm. The solution formed by boiling the fresh leave in water make good bath in cases of fever.

Santol grows in any type of soil but a loose, friable and well-drained soil with plenty of organic material is preferable. It is propagated by seeds, building, grafting and marcotting.

Tamarind

The tamarind tree is grown for its fruits as well as a shade tree. It is a large tree, usually growing to a height of 20 meters or more. The leaves are even-pinnate composed of very small leaflets. The flowers which grow in recemes have yellowish petals with pink strips.

The green pods, young leaves and flowers are used for flavoring a certain favorite dish called " sinigang." The sweet ripe pods are used in the manufacture of syrup, beverage, jellies and other sub-acid confections.

The young leaves are prepared to ease rheumatic pains. To reduce inflammations of body-joints apply on them poultices of warm, pounded young leaves.The solution formed by boiling the leaves in water mixed with little sugar when taken relieve cough.

Pigeon Pea

Pigeon Pea or kadios as locally known is an erect, branched and shrubby legume. The small pods are eaten as vegetable white still green or young. The dried seeds are also eaten as vegetable and cooked with other vegetables, fish, shrimps or meat.

The leaves are pounded and applied as treatment for sores. The juice passed from the leaves mixed with salt as given as medicine for jaundice.

Plant 2 to 4 seeds in a hill spaced at 1.5 meters apart between hills in the row or furrow, and 1.5 meters apart between furrows.

Katuray

Katuray is one of the most widely distrubution vegetable tree crop in the country growing to about 12 meters in height. It may be greatly reduced in height if pruned, but will have more lateral branches than when not pruned. The Katuray tree bears few white, large flowers.

Economic and Nutritive Values of Katuray:

* The young leaves and pods which are eaten as vegetables are cooked either with fish and met or with other vegetables.

* Protein concentrates can be extracted from the leaves. The younger leaves contain more protein than the older leaves.

* Vitamins A and C are found in the leaves.

Medicinal Value of Katuray:

* Juice extracted from the roots mixwd with honey is used as an expectorant for colds and catarrh.

* A paste is made from the roots of the red- flowered Katuray variety and is given as remedy for rheumatic pains.

* Applies as remedy for headache caused by severe catarrh is the juice extracted from the juice of leaves and flowers.

* Flowers are used to make bowel movement easy.

Katuray tree is propagated by seeds and by cutting. Germinate the seeds in seed boxes or seedbeds. Transplant in the seedlings in the fiels or garden when they are about 75 to 100 centimeters tall.

Guava

The guava tree is a small which may reach a height of about 8 meters. It has four-angled branches. The leaves are opposite, somewhat hairy, oblong to elliptic and usually pointed at both ends. The flowers are white and borne in panicles with one to three flowers.
The guava fruit is rounded, about 4 to 5 centimeters long, the introduced guavas, such as the Brazilian guava, the Florida Guava and the Java guava are much bigger than the native varieties. They are much more fleshy and have lesser seeds. The fruit when unripe is green, when fully ripe, it is yellow. The ripe fruit has pink or white pulp.
One variety, with smaller fruits but recommended for backyard planting is the purple guava. It is a sort of a novelty because of its color. The ripe fruit is sweet and delicious;
Economic and Nutritive Values of Guava Fruits
• Guava fruits are eaten ripe or unripe. The ripe guava fruits are sweet and are made into jellies which preserved in bottle.
• Ripe guavas are used in the preparation of a certain dish.
• Vitamin C content of guava fruits.
Medicinal Value
• The leaves are boiled in water and the solution is used for stomach ache and for expelling intestinal worms.
• The bark and leaves are used in childbirth to expel the placenta.
• The pounded leaves are applied to ease rheumatic pains.
• Juice extracted from roots and leaves are rubbed on the spine children having convulsions.

Guava are propagated in a number of ways. Seed planting is most common way. Guavas, however, may be planted asexually, by marcotting, stem cutting, grafting and budding.

Mango

The ripe mango fruit is usually eaten as a dessert. It can be preserve into jelly, jam, chutney, marmalate and vinegar. The green fruit may be eaten as is with bago-ong(bagong) or salt. It is also made into pickles.

Children suffer from scurvy due to lack of Vitamin C or for not taking fruit juices that are rich in Vitamin C. Daily requirements of Vitamin C is 40 miligrams. Eating one mango a day will give all the Vitamin C one needs daily. In addition, one also gets the Vitamins needed daily.

Tea can be made from the leaves of mango tree. This beverage counteracts the inflammation of the nose and mucus membranes during a cough and other diseases of the bronchial tube. The ripe mango fruit is a laxative. The seed which is bitter can be prepared as deworming agent.

Mango tree may be propagated by seed, bondding, grafting or inarching. The plants are set in the field from 10 to 14 meters apart.

Pineapple

The pineapple is a wonder fruit. It is not grown from seeds. The plant is grown from slips near the base of the fruit, from suckers that grow lower down on the stem of the plant, or from the crown that issues from the top of the pineapple.

When fully grown, the vegetative plant is the appearance of a "red bud" in the growing center by the plant where the new leaves have been forming. It is about the size of a big calamansi and red in color. It is actually a miniature pineapple containing approximately 150 individual flowers, a number equal to the " eye" of the ripe pineapple, for parts of each flower are eventually to become an eye.

The ripe pineapple fruit is eaten as a dessert. Sugar syrup is made from pineapple fruit. Pineapples are canned and exported. The forms of canned pineapples are slices, chunks, tidbits and "crisp cut". Fiber from pineapple leaves is made into pina cloth.

The juice extracted from the pineapple leaves is used as a purgative also to expel intestinal worms. The unripe fruit when eaten aids in disposing excess water in the body through increasing the amount of urine produced which is then disposed through urination.