Jew's ears. 177 



shortly velvety and greyish olive. In size it varies 

 considerably from one to three inches, and is attached 

 by a point at the back, out of the centre, often nearly 

 on one side. When dry it becomes hard and horny, 

 shrinking considerably in the process. In past times 

 it had its medicinal uses, and, on that account, is 

 included in most of the old herbals, but the reputation 

 of all virtue has left it long ago, and now that all its 

 occupation is gone, it is regarded simply as a curi- 

 osity. Not so, however, in South-Eastern Asia 

 where it still finds favour for the compounding of 

 those gelatinous dishes of which the Chinese are so 

 fond. Not only is it largely imported, with other 

 species, but one of these is artificially cultivated to 

 supply the demand. 



" Mu-esh " is found spontaneously growing on the 

 bark of wild cherry in Central China. It is a species 

 of Jew's ear {Hirneola polytt'ichd)^ and is also 

 cultivated at Yun-Yang, whence it is exported to all 

 parts of China, being esteemed as an article of 

 food. It is of great commercial importance, the 

 quantity annually produced being very large. Small 

 trees of the China oak {Quercus sinensis) are cut 

 down and cut into poles about six to ten feet long, 

 and three to six inches in diameter, and left to rot on 

 the ground for a year. In the following spring, when 

 the wood has become more or less rotten, the poles 

 are erected into shed-like structures, and these stud 

 the sides of the hills in places. The " mu-esh " comes 



M 



