196 American Horticultural Society. 



the base of the trunk in the earlier years of the pahii are annually removed. 

 This palm being diiecious, it is necessary to hang the staminate lluwers over 

 the pistillate blooms in order to insure proper fructification where the male 

 and female trees are not planted in close proximity. Palms of this species 

 have fruited in a few other localities in the state, but the product has not 

 been as satisfactory as at the place under consideration. That the raising of 

 dates for market will ever be a profitable industry in this special district, or 

 any other locality in California, is a problem for future horticulturists to 

 solve, but the results already obtained certainly render further experimenta- 

 tion desirable. 



Among the tropical fruits that find here suitable conditions is the guava 

 {Psidium pinriferuni), examples of which are found in numerous Santa Bar- 

 bara gardens. In its wild state in the West Indies it is a large shrub, but in 

 cultivation it attains the dimensions of a tree, with [\\q or six inches diam- 

 eter of trunk. The wood is exceedingly hard and tough ; the leaves about 

 three inches long, in pairs opposite each other, and the flower white, with 

 an agreeable perfume. The fruit is from one to three inches in diameter, 

 having a smooth skin, and a peculiar musky odor that is disagreeable to most 

 persons. The seeds are contained in a llesh-colored pulp, that is sweet, 

 aromatic and very palatable, the pleasant taste lingering some time after 

 eating it. It is used as a dessert fruit and is preserved with sugar. The 

 jelly made from this fruit has long been universally esteemed. Excellent 

 products from home-grown fruit have been prepared by Santa Barbara 

 housewives. To insure success in the preparation of the jelly, partially 

 ripened fruit should be used. The strawberry guava {Psidium catdeynnum) 

 is a variety that is now being planted quite extensively, being a more hardy 

 species. It has a smaller fruit than the preceding, being less than an inch 

 long, purple in color, and of delicious liavor, somewhat resembling straw- 

 berries. This tree attains the height of twenty feet at full maturity. 



The banana {Musa sapierUum) has been planted in almost every garden 

 in our neighborhood, and fine bunches of fruit have been perfected. It is 

 not claimed that the fruit reaches so high a degree of perfection as in the 

 tropics, but certainly excellent, well-ripened and llavored specimens are not 

 uncommon, and it is believed that with more care in the selection of situa- 

 tions, and by planting in large groups, with high fertilization and proper 

 irrigation, much better results may be attained. One grower in Montecito 

 asserted that on every day of the 3G-3 his family were supplied with ripe 

 fruit from his plant;ition, principally from the Musa Cavendiahii, the dwarf 

 species. The noble Abyssinian banana {Musa ensete) is being quite widely 

 planted for its superb tropical appearance in the landscape, but its fruit is 

 pulpless and of no value. Of other fruits, drawn from subtropical regions, 

 the Granadilla {Rissijlora aiulis) or water-lemon, purple when fully ripe and 

 pleasing to many tastes; the Tuna {Opuiitia tuna), a refreshing fruit, intro- 

 duced by the Franciscan fathers, and much esteemed by the native Califor- 

 nians, and the Eugenia (£'»^<'/U'f nvirt ifdin), irorw Australia, a highly orna- 



