CULTIVATION OF TROPICAL FRUITS. 



137 



Bananas are now common, and, although not high flavoured, 

 they form an important addition to our list of hothouse fruits. 

 Five distinct varieties have been fruited here, but of those perhaps 

 Musa Cavendishii is the most useful. But a magnificent grow- 

 ing variety cultivated here (under the name of Musa maxima 

 merely for distinction, and in the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens 

 known as the St. Helena Banana) is, where it can have room for 

 its noble foliage, superior to any sort yet introduced. The 

 foliage of this variety rises to the height of 30 feet, and the 

 clusters of excellent fruit are from 80 to above 1 30 lbs. weight, 

 and in quality equal if not superior to that of M. Cavendishii ; 

 like that variety it keeps some time, whereas some of the 

 sorts very soon rot when grown in a moist stove. This is often 

 the case with the Dacca Banana. Other kinds produce well- 

 flavoured fruit, but in general the clusters are small and the 

 plants more difficult to grow well. 



Granadillas, or fruits of several species of Passion flower, are 

 interesting additions to the dessert ; they are easily cultivated 

 stove climbers, and in general their flowers are very beautiful. 



Passifiora edulis, a native of the West Indies, grows fruit 

 freely ; the fruit is purple and well-flavoured. 



P. maliformis has round fruit, green coloured when ripe, and 

 the size of a large plum. The skin or outer part is thick and 

 hard, containing a very well-flavoured pulp that partakes of the 

 flavour of the gooseberry and the orange. 



P. laurifolia produces a handsome oval fruit of a fine lemon 

 colour, and hence it is called water-lemon ; it is also called 

 Pomme de Liane. It is about the size of a peach or nectarine. 

 The skin is soft, containing a very pleasant acidulated pulp. 

 This is the handsomest fruit, but is inferior in size to the next. 



P. quadrangular is produces the true Granadilla : well-grown 

 plants will produce fruit about 3 lbs. weight, yellowish when 

 ripe, and containing a large quantity of pulp, which, if mixed 

 with a little wine and sugar, is generally considered excellent. 

 The three last are also natives of • the West Indies, easily culti- 

 vated, particularly in a corner of the bark-bed, allowing their 

 roots to run in the decayed bark. The two last-mentioned 

 species have fine flowers, which require to be artificially ferti- 

 lized. 



Guavasj or fruit of Psidium Cattleyanum and P. pyriferum, 

 are admired by some as table-fruit, but they are chiefly valuable 

 as a preserve or jelly. The White Guava, P. pyriferum, is 

 easily cultivated, requiring little more than a greenhouse tem- 

 perature in winter ; but it is liable to harbour insects, and for 

 that reason has received but little attention for some years. 

 The Purple Guava, P. Cattleyanum, is even hardier than the 



