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abundance small dark purple fruit, which has a pleasant sub-acid taste, 

 and ripens early in the summer. It is a very hardy tree, and will thrive 

 in almost any kind of soil even though it may be of a poor character. 

 Being a native of cool regions it is best adapted for elevated or mountain 

 districts, but it may be grown successfully in moderately cool localities. 

 Several other species yield fruits that are utilized more or less. As 

 the trees are very ornamental when in flower, and the foliage is 

 cheerful, they may be utilized in shrubberies effectively. Propagation 

 may be readily effected by seeds which should be sown in the autumn, 

 covering them an inch and a-half in depth. Plants can be easily obtained 

 from layers, which should be put down before growth begins to start in 

 the spring. Cuttings of the last season's wood will also strike freely if 

 put in early in the spring. 



GUAVA. 



HISTORY AND USES. 



The fruit known as Guavas is obtained from various species of the 

 genus Psidium, all of them being natives of Central and South America 

 or the West India Islands. According to the botanical dictionaries the 

 scientific name is derived from Psidion , the Greek term for the 

 Pomegranate. There are no records as to the origin of the common name 

 Guava. The Guavas belong to the natural order Myrtacere, or the 

 Myrtle family, and all are handsome evergreen trees or shrubs, worthy of 

 being cultivated for ornament, irrespective of the value of their fruit. 

 Though the name has been taken from the Greek, the family, as a matter 

 of course, was quite unknown to ancient nations, and was not brought 

 under the notice of European cultivators till long after the discovery of 

 the American continent. They have not received so much attention in 

 the south of Europe, where the conditions are favourable for their growth, 

 as they deserve ; but in the West Indies and some parts of South America 

 they are highly appreciated and extensively used in a fresh state and also 

 preserved as jelly. 



Guavas are deserving of more attention in Australasia than they receive 

 at the present time, as their fruit is wholesome, and the trees, owing to 

 their compact growth and handsome dark evergreen foliage, may be 

 utilized with advantage in shrubberies. The species yielding useful 

 fruits arc numerous, but the hardiness and value of many of these 

 are, as yet, but imperfectly known, and the species generally cultivated 

 are but few. Of these, again, the majority are too tender for cultivation 

 in Victoria, New Zealand, and Tasmania, though they thrive to perfection 

 in the northern colonies, where the summer heat is greater. 



SPECIES. 



The most desirable species is Psidium Cattleyanum (commonly known 

 as the Black, Purple, and Cattley's Guava), a native of South America, 



