GUAVAS. 



337 



Training. The plants should be taken up with a clean straight stem, rubbing off 

 the side growths to the height of stem required, then pinching out the growing point of 

 the upright growth. To form dwarf bushes, take out the point at 12 inches, encourage 

 three side shoots, and stop these at 6 inches of growth, pinching subsequent growths 

 similarly so as to secure a sturdy, well-branched, fruitful habit. Compact bushes are 

 then formed for growing in pots, tubs, or planting. Low-stemmed trees can be had by 

 keeping each to one stem, and when 

 that is as high as required allow the 

 head to form. Standards with 3 to 

 4^ feet stems are excellent for plant- 

 ing out in winter gardens, or growing 

 in tubs in large conservatories. Trees 

 with heads 10 to 12 feet in height 

 and about as much through are 

 charming when covered with myrtle- 

 like flowers, and useful in producing 

 fruit. 



Soil. Sandy, fibrous loam the 

 top 2 inches of a pasture or sheep- 

 walk where the substratum is a cal- 

 careous gravel or chalk, three parts ; 

 leaf soil, or dried cow manure, half 

 a part, and charcoal nuts half a part, 

 the turf torn or chopped up from 

 small to rough according to the size 

 of the plants, and the whole tho- 

 roughly incorporated, form a suitable 



Fig. 107. SPBAY OF STRAWBERBY GUAVA ra FBUTT. 



compost. If there is a deficiency of grit in the loam, enough sharp sand must be 

 added to render the compost porous. The drainage must be perfect. Pots and tubs 

 will need drainage material in proportion to their size, in every case thorough, and 

 borders need a foot in depth of rubble, with a drain to carry off the superfluous water, 

 and about 18 inches depth of soil. 



* Potting and Planting. These operations are best performed in spring, just before the 

 plants commence growth. Young plants in pots may be given a second shift in July. 

 VOL. II. X X 



