The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-04-09
The Guaya.

The Guava is tree which grows in trop-
ical countries, and it is found principally in
the West Indies. 1t is of the genus termed
by botanists, Psidium, and is of two sorts,
the T. pomiferum and P. peryferum. The
plant does not attain any considerable size,
being generally about fifteen feet high; aud
it is of very delicate formation. The bark
is quite thin, and of light brown color
to the sun; to prevent this, the trees are
usually planted beneath others of a larger
growth and harder nature. The leaves
are of an elliptic lanceolate form. They
are very distinctly marked by the fibers of
which they are composed. They are of a
dark green color, and measure about q
inches. The flowers resemble those of the
orange. and emit strong perfume. The
fruit is about the size of a small lemon. 1t
is almsst of the same shape and COLOR
The interior consists of a red pulpy sub
stance, containing an innumerable guam
tity of small seeds somewhat larger than
Of the consistency of that of an apple. OF
this fruit the West Indians make several
kinds Of preserves, the guava jelly, stewed
guava, quake pear, and marmalade. The
most lucrative is the guava jelly. The
fruit is often eaten in its raw condition.
The negroes are so fond of it that they are
very wary and dilligent in guarding the
trees from robbery when they are bearing
fruit.
The guava jelly is obtained by boiling
the guavas with sugar and spices; and, after
expressing the juice through cloth, it is
left to cool. Of course it undergoes minor
processes, which omit, they being inap-
propriate to the object of this paper.
The jelly is frequently bottled. but oftener
it is put into small cylindrical boxes made
of Illuminated pine board. A great quantity
of this comfit is manufactured in Cuba,
where it is termed "Jalea de guayaba,"
which is exported to the United States and
Europe. Notwithstanding that good
deal is made in the smaller islands, they
import quite quantity of the Cuban jelly.
After the juice has been expressed from
the guava, there remain the skins and the
pulp containing the seeds; the latter is
stewed and bottled, and it constitutes the
stewed guava. This is generally partaken
of with milk.
The skins are converted into the delicacy
termed "quake pear" by process varying
slightly from the foregoing.
The guava marmalade is not frequently
made. 1t consists of the guava grated and
prepared in peculiar manner
Of the aforementioned preserves, the mar
malade is preferred by most connosseurs:
The small seeds in the stewed guava are
very Objectionable, the more SO if one is
subject to tosthache, as they get into the
cavities Of decayed teeth, causing a great
deal of suffering.
The natives of the West Indies are great
herbalists; they convert almost any plant
into medicine of some kind or other, and
they have discovered several medicinal pro-
perties in the guava treee and its compli-
mentary portions what they are, cannot
pretend to say.
There is no distinction made between the
name Of the tree and that of the fruit in
English, both being guava: the French
term the tree, goyarier, and the fruit, goyace.
Their respective terms in the Creole patois
| are, gyan-bauns, and ayan.-iScientifc Inaer.