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The Key- Apple, Aberia caff r a Hook & Harv., of 

 the Order Flacourtiaceae, is a deciduous thorny shrub 

 native of Natal. The shrub is polygamous, that is indi- 

 vidual plants produce only male flowers, and others only 

 female flowers, while others have both sexes in the same 

 flower. The plant is propagated easily by cuttings in winter 

 or early spring, or by layers in summer. The small pinkish 

 white flowers are succeeded by small fruits, more or less 

 pear-shaped and not exceeding 3 c.m. in diameter, of an 

 orange yellow colour, with several hard seeds. The fruit 

 matures throughout the summer and the pulp of the fruit 

 is sweetish and acidulous. This shrub thrives very well 

 in our gardens, but is disliked on account of its thorny 

 branches and the dull whitish green colour of its foliage. 



Another shrub sometimes classed with fruit trees, 

 but grown chiefly for its highly ornamental qualities is the 

 Strawberry-tree (Arbutus Unedo L., Ericaceae) This 

 small tree or shrub is native of Europe and thrives best 

 in temperate regions and in siliceous soils, but does well 

 in these Islands if planted in a deep red soil and in a 

 cool situation. It is an evergreen shrub with alternate, 

 elliptical, acutely toothed leaves of a dark lustrous green, 

 and the pretty bell-shaped wax-like flowers are produced 

 in small bunches in winter and early spring, and are 

 succeeded by round fruits like strawberries of a reddish 

 colour. A large strawberry tree formerly existed at San 

 Antonio which must have been more than a hundred 

 years old and was in fruit almost every year. Young 

 trees of fruiting size exist in several well known gardens. 

 This shrub is of slow growth and is propagated by seed 

 or by rooted suckers. 



The Tomato- tree (Cyfihomandra betacea Order- So- 

 lanaceae) is cultivated in gardens as an ornamental shrub 

 for its large heart-like leaves and for its egg-shaped 

 orange red fruits, which hang in small clusters through- 

 out the autumn and winter. The fruits are eatable and 

 may be used as tomatoes. This shrub is propagated by 



