GUAVAS AND BANANAS. 



137 



Popularly there are supposed to be three distinct varieties 

 of the coramon guava cultivated in Florida, all of them large, 

 averaging five to six ounces, but some specimens reaching eight 

 .and nine, or more ; rarely even ten ounces. 



One of these varieties has a bright pink flesh, another yel- 

 low, and the third and favorite, white. The skin of all is green 

 when nnripe, yellow when matured, and all resemble pears in 

 shape. 



But these three apparent varieties are in reality the same ; 

 take the seeds of one sort, plant them, and the fruit will not 

 come true only to the kind planted ; some will have yellow 

 flesh, some white, some pink ; thus pi oA^ng that the varieties are 

 identical. 



The guava scorns the longest drought, and responds gener- 

 ously to good culture and plenty of food. It needs no pruning, 

 except an occasional pinching ofl* of the end of a limb that has 

 grown inordinately long without branching, and a cutting off" 

 or layering (for au other plant) of such limbs as lie on the 

 ground. The guava is a thrifty grower, not stopping to rest 

 even during the cooler months, and this is why its young growth 

 is so liable to be killed by frost. 



Recently there have been introduced into Florida two 

 varieties of guavas that are frost-proof, and hence are destined to 

 be extensively planted as soon as known. 



The fruit is similar in shape to the common guava, though 

 much smaller, but the bush bears no resemblance at all to its 

 commoner brethren. 



The leaf of the latter is rather large, pea-green, lanceolate, 

 and ribbed, the new gro^rth being slightly tinged with pink. 



The frost-proof guavas are more compact and slower in 

 growth ; their leaves are small, thick, shiny, and dark-green ; 

 more like those of a camelia or daphne than those of a guava. 



One of these is the " Cattley guava," so named after Mr. 

 Cattley, who was. the first to introduce it into English hot- 

 houses, from its native land, Brazil. The fruit, claret-colored, 

 is not as large as an English walnut, but its lack of size is made 

 up in quality and quantity, its flavor being far superior to that 



