CHAPTER XVIIL 



GUAVAS AND BANANAS. 



The guava is one of those fruits, which, introduced and accli- 

 mated in Florida some years back, is not yet fully appreciated at 

 its proper commercial value. 



Year by year, however, the guava is winning its w^ay to the 

 front rank of Florida fruits, and it only needs the establishment 

 of guava jelly factories to give an immense impetus to the plant- 

 ing of this valuable fruit, the chief drawback to its extended 

 culture thus far having been its perishable nature, its skin and 

 general texture being much like that of a pear, only that it is 

 more juicy, and in transit this juice is apt to be pressed out. 



But no energetic person, as Vv^e shall presently see, need 

 wait for the establishment of neighboring factories for making 

 jelly of the fruit he raises, for it can be made at home, and the 

 large profit therefrom accruing be placed directly in his own 

 pocket. Or, if he is so circumstanced as not to he able to do this, 

 there has lately been opened a way to ship his fruit to the jelly 

 manufacturer without danger ot loss in transit, and that is 

 simply by drying it, just as any other fruit is dried. There are 

 small family fruit evaporators now in the mai'ket that can be 

 procured at a cost of only a few dollars, but as it is not every 

 one who can afford even these few dollars, or who can conven- 

 iently procure the evaporators, even when the money to do so 

 is forthcoming, we give below the plan of a home-made evapo- 

 rator, which is equally effective, and can be made by any one of 

 ordinary intelligence. This will be found useful, not only for 

 guavas, but for all other fruits that one may wish to preserve by 

 this method : 



Three things' are requisite — a hogshead ; a long, narrow box, 

 twenty inches deep and wide, and about six feet in length, such 

 as is used for shipping tall nursery trees ; and a small stove. 



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