38 ADDISONIA 
cultivation seems to require a well-drained situation with a good 
loamy soil, rich in humus; it will not grow well in heavy clay or light 
sandy soils. ‘The trees should be set fifteen to twenty feet apart. 
When mature the fruits fall and must be set aside in a cool place 
for mellowing before they are suitable for eating; this state is reached 
when they become slightly softened and begin to exhale a character- 
istic fragrance. 
The plant may be propagated by seeds, or by cuttings Bee 
glass. The cuttings should be about four inches long, of young 
wood taken from the ends of the branches, and should be placed in 
clear sand over bottom heat. They may also be propagated by 
layering. 
The myrtle family, to which Feijoa belongs, contains about three 
thousand species, widely distributed in tropical regions, with few 
in subtropical, and only one, Myrtus communis, the common myrtle, 
in the Mediterranean region. There are two main centers of 
distribution, however, one in tropical America, and the other in 
Australia. The plants of tropical America usually have berry- 
like fruits, a good example of which is the guava, while those in 
Australia asarule have dry fruits. The large Australian genus 
Eucalyptus belongs to this family. 
Grorce V. Nasu. 
