Appendix. 19" 



APPLE GliOAVING IN JAPAN. 



By Hox. H. B. Miller, U. S. Consul, New Chwang, China. 



Apple growing in Japan has attracted my attention and I have en- 

 deavored to learn the extent of it, as I have seen many Japanese grown 

 apples in the markets of China as well as in Japan. Some of these 

 apples are still in the markets at New Chwang and Port Arthur on 

 May 1st. 



The following information I have secured from official sources on special 

 request and presume it is correct. 



Apple growing In Japan is carried on mostly in the northern part, on 

 the Island of Hokkaido. It is in this locality that the agricultural col- 

 lege for Japan is located. 



The country is especially noted for its coal and timber wealth, but is 

 being developed in agriculture and horticulture and applegrowing is 

 taking on the appearance of a permanent commercial industry. 



The present acreage in apples on the island is five thousand. Trees 

 are planted at about twenty feet apart and begin bearing the seventh 

 year after planting, and bear at about tne following rate: 



7-year-old trees 7 catties or 10 pounds 



10-year-old trees 25 catties or 34 pounds 



• 15-year-o!d trees 100 catties or 134 pounds 



IS-year-old trees ISO catties or 250 pounds 



The prices usually paid to the producers are as follows: 



Early apples 2 sen per catty 



Fall apples 3 sen per catty 



AVinter apples 3.5 sen per catty 



March apples 8 sen per catty 



May latest 14 sen per catty 



A catty is one pound and a third and a sen is equal to half a gold cent. 



These apples are packed in dry hardwood sawdust and shipped in boxes 

 and casks of various sizes. While these apples are not equal in quality 

 to the Oregon apples, many of them are very good and the best of all the 

 apples of the Orient except those grown at Chefoo from American stock. 



I have never seen any codling moth in the Japanese fruit although I 

 have seen both the moth and San Jose scale on the Chefoo fruit, both on 

 apples and Bartlett pears. 



The worst disease and one that is so bad as to seriously injure the fruit 

 is bitter rot, such as is common to tlie Baldwin apple in the United 

 States. This, together with a black soft fungus that covers the apple in 

 small spots, are serious defects that seem to develop on all varieties 

 and increases with time until it entirely ruins the apple. Much of this 

 is no doubt due to climatic conditions and unless some means are taken 

 to prevent it, the apples of Japan will not interfere much with the Pacific 

 coast fruit in the Orient. 



