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ROEDING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



CHERIMOYER 



There are grave doubts as to whether this fruit will 

 ever attain any great commercial importance. Its cul- 

 ture has thus far been confined to the counties south of 

 the Tehachapi, and in these only in sections where there 

 was comparatively little danger from cold weather. 

 Botanically, it is known as Anona cherimolia. Its com- 

 mon name, Custard Apple, is derived from its having 

 the consistency of custard with the blended flavors 

 of the pineapple and the banana. Most of the trees 

 which are sold are seedlings. If greater interest is 

 manifested in this fruit, named varieties will undoubt- 

 edly be introduced. It is quite variable in the size of 

 the fruits produced, running from an inch in diameter 

 up to eight inches on the same tree. Where the trees do 

 well they are very prolific and attain quite a large size. 

 The skin is overlapping and the fruit is shaped like a 

 strawberry. They come into bearing when four years 

 old. The fruit should be picked when matured and laid 

 away for a few days in a ccol place before they are ready 

 for eating. For shipping they should first be wrapped 

 in paper and then packed in excelsior. The boxes in 

 which they are packed should be ventilated. 



THE FEIJOA 



Another of our semi-tropical fruits possessing merit 

 but one which was boomed to the limit by over-zealous 

 nurserymen without testing out its value fully. This 

 fruit is simply another example of having its merits 

 extolled before determining some of the salient facts 



The Cherimoyer can be grown in many places in the 

 southern part of California. Single fruits quite fre- 

 quently weigh a pound or more. 



concerning it. It was widely distributed, and although 

 it bloomed profusely the bushes failed in most instances 

 to set fruit, and in consequence of this it lost its popu- 

 larity. Varieties are now being introduced having 

 fruits twice the size of a hen's egg, and are known to 

 bear regularly and abundantly. The very fact that the 

 shrub is very hardy, that the fruits have a mingling of 

 flavors, all of which are attractive to the palate (the 

 only objection being the numerous seeds), will cause it 

 to be planted again on a limited scale'. It makes a very 

 fine transparent jelly. It should have a place in every 

 garden, for it has a series of combinations which will 

 make it a valuable addition to every home. 



THE GUAVA 



Guavas will only be grown to any extent in the coun- 

 ties south of the Tehachapi. If planted elsewhere they 

 will have to be protected, except perhaps in favored 

 locations in the foothills; otherwise they will freeze to 

 the ground during the winter months. There are two 

 varieties, the strawberry and the lemon guava. The 

 former has been more widely planted. The shrub is 

 very attractive both when in flower and when loaded 

 with its crop of aromatic fruits. Its leaves are glossy 

 green; the flower is snow-white with a decided jasmine 

 scent. The fruits of the strawberry type are colored 

 like a strawberry, hence the name; while the lemon 

 guava has fruits of a lemon-yellow color. The straw- 

 berry guava is by far the better one to plant because it 

 is very much hardier and bears much more abundantly 

 than the other. As in some other fruits of this type the 

 objectionable feature to it is its innumerable seeds. 

 The guava makes a very superior jelly, and in localities 

 where it thrives it grows with so little care it deserves 

 receiving more attention than has been accorded to it. 



THE LOQUAT 



As an ornamental tree much may be said in its favor. 

 Its wide adaptability, there being very few places in 

 California where it can not be grown successfully, and 

 in addition to this its delicious fruits, coming in before 

 any of the other table fruits in the spring, should cause 

 it to be more widely planted than it has been. It 

 blooms in November, the flowers appearing in large 

 panicles. They are very sweet scented and suffuse the 

 atmosphere when in full bloom with their delicious 

 aroma. Botanically, it is known as Eriobotrya jabonica, 

 and it is frequently characterized as the "date plum." 

 Its native habitat is China and Japan. Preference 

 should be given to the improved budded varieties, as 

 the fruit averages much larger in size, the seeds usually 

 varying from two to three in each fruit, being very 

 much smaller than in the seedlings. The trees are 

 either budded on loquat seedlings or on the quince. 

 When grown on the quince it is practicable to trans- 

 plant without balling in the winter months provided 

 the leaves are stripped from the plant. Many budded 

 varieties have been introduced from Japan and south- 

 ern Europe, but none of them equal in size or compare 

 in quality to the sort.* introduced by C. P. Taft, of 

 Orange, California. The fruit is produced in immense 

 clusters and makes a striking contrast with the large, 



