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THE CURIOUS CASE OF ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS a.k.a. JACK FRUIT

By Dr. R Sudarshan

Little Aarush went over to the farm on the weekend, awed at the dozens of jack fruits low hanging from the trees, and even plucked one for his home. It must have weighed as much as him. In ancient Britain, they weighed people in stones. It wouldn't be a surprise if, in ancient India, they weighed boys in jack fruits. 

The jacks this year have taken enormous time to ripen on the trees. By now, they should have descended one by one, got massacred, and pleased our palate. But strangely, they are just fattening forever, and even in May, there isn't a sign of the jackfruit rain.  We go every day, tap them anxiously to hear the ripe hollow sound of fruiting and return wondering why is the big fruit in grand slumber.

With the immense but unusual rains in the last monsoon, unbearable stabbings of heat this summer, and the destructive thunderstorms of last week, the jackfruits may have fearfully remained perched on the trees, delaying from descending to the ground reality.  

Though voiceless, the time will tell.

For any relevant query, message 81051 12990.

* * *

Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.
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Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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