CHAP. XII VILLA GARDEXING 379 



than from 14 to 16 feet high to the ridge, and there should 

 be pipes enough to secure a temperature of from 65° to 70" at 

 night in winter. The soil should be tiufy loam, three parts, 

 and old hotbed manure, one part, with some sand and crushed 

 charcoal to make it porous. If grown in pots, they may be ranged 

 along the centre of an ordinary stove, and the remainder of the 

 house devoted to foliage or flowering stove plants. As soon as a 

 plant has reached its full size, the long drooping spathe of flowers 

 is thrust out from the centre ; and as the flowers open, set, and 

 aftei'wards wither, the fruit begins to swell, so that the first open 

 flowers have set, and the fruits are swelling rapidly, before the 

 last flowers in the cluster have expanded ; in fact, it is hardly 

 worth while to allow all the flowers to set. When a sufiicient 

 number to form a good cluster has opened and set, the remainder 

 may be cut off". While the fruit is swelling frequent waterings 

 with liquid manure should be given. The fruits ripen in succes- 

 sion, and may be gathered as they ripen by plucking them oft", 

 leaving the remainder to finish growth. 



Propagation is very easy and simple. As soon as the plant 

 reaches its full development, it commences to throw out offsets or 

 suckers from the bottom, which may be removed with roots, and 

 potted singly, growing on in a warm house, with plenty of moistiu-e. 

 A strong sucker will grow into a fruiting plant, if well done, in 

 twelve months to eighteen months. 



The Guava (Psiditjm cattleianum). — The Guavas are ever- 

 green shrubs of the Myrtle family. About twenty species have 

 been introduced during the last two centuries from various parts of 

 the world, chiefly from the West Indies and South America, 

 though two, one black and the other yellow fruited, come from 

 China. For the most part, the Guavas are stove shrubs, but P. 

 cattleianum is one of the hardiest, and may be grown in a warm 

 greenhouse, where the night temperature does not exceed 50° from 

 fire-heat. If planted out in a bed of loam and peat it grows 

 rapidly and will speedily cover a large space. When grown for its 

 fruit alone it does best trained to wires near the glass. It flowers 

 early in June very freely, the flowers being white, springing from 

 short foot-stalks in the axils of the leaves. The Guava requires no 

 more care than the Orange or Myrtle. When in flower a drier 

 atmosphere should be maintained till the fruits are set, then the 

 syringe should be used freely, as thrips are sometimes troublesome, 

 being very fond of the Myrtle family. The brown scale will give 

 trouble if it effects a lodgment. The fruit ripens from August 

 onwards through the autumn in succession for several months, and 

 has an agreeable taste, the flavour being unlike all other fruits. 



