SOME OTHER TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS. 223 



Yet isolated trees first planted in the Southern States we 

 have seen from thirty-five to forty feet in height, with 

 spread of branches like a Southern pear-tree of the Japan 

 type. The fruit is borne on the new growth mainly, hence 

 the pruning is in the way of taking out the dead wood and 

 thinning the inner branches. 



220. The Guava. This is often called the apple of 

 tropical climates. The fruits of the best tropical varieties 

 are often as large as a good -sized a.pple or pear. It is an 

 immense bearer. The fruit ripens from August to October 

 in southern Florida. If all that start at one time ripened 

 together the load could not be supported and the fruit 

 would be small. In Cuba it is quite a pest, as it springs 

 up in every unoccupied spot as dropped by the birds. It 

 seems that no special efforts have been made to secure the 

 best varieties, as the large white-fleshed varieties brought 

 from the East Indies to England we have not seen equalled 

 in Cuba or extreme south California. The greater part 

 of the commercial guava jelly comes from the West Indies. 

 The fruit of this species is pear-shaped and is known as 

 Psidium py rife-rum by botanists. This as seen in Cuba 

 is small, smooth, with yellow color of skin and flesh, and 

 when fully ripe it is aromatic, mildly acid, and really good 

 in flavor. In south California the strawberry guava is 

 mainly grown. This also is small, claret colored, with 

 pulpy purplish flesh, white at centre. It has a mingling 

 of sweet and sour, and a distinct strawberry flavor. The 

 yellow variety is also prized for jelly-making and for 

 making tarts and marmalade. In Florida what are known 

 as the Japan and yellow strawberry types are grown 

 mainly with foliage looking much like that of the camelia. 

 These will endure about as much frost as the orange, and 

 if frozen down they come into bearing from the seed 'in 

 two years. At this time some Florida parties have com- 



