SOME ASIATIC ACTINIDIAS. 1 



By David Fairchild. Agricultural Explorer in Charge of Foreign Seed and Plant 



Introduction. 



ACTINIDIA ARGUTA. 



At least five species of Actinidia are now growing in this country, 

 and they deserve much more consideration than has been given them. 

 There is no finer climbing shrub for porches in this latitude than 

 Actinidia arguta Miq. Its foliage seems to be practically free from 

 diseases, is of a beautiful dark-green color with reddish midribs, and 

 for situations where a mass of uncontrolled irregular foliage is 

 wanted and when a trellis can be provided, it is unusually successful. 

 It is a very vigorous grower and will cover a trellis 20 feet long and 

 10 feet high in two or three years. 



Several years ago the writer had the pleasure of tasting a few 

 fruits picked from a vine of this species which covered over a hundred 

 feet of trellis on the house of Mr. Charles N. Parker, of Marblehead, 

 Mass. This vine had fruited more or less regularly since it was 9 

 years old, and it was at that time 20 years of age. The flavor of the 

 fruits was very sweet and pleasant, reminding one of figs. They were 

 about the size of damson plums, with very thin skins and filled with 

 extremely small seeds. A woodcut of the fruit of this species has 

 been published in Bailey's Cyclopedia of American Horticulture. 



The value of this plant as a fruiting vine seems to have been little 

 emphasized in America. The long time required for it to come into 

 bearing and its dioecious nature, which has no doubt resulted in many 

 males being planted, has probably disheartened Americans from 

 growing it more extensively. From Asia, however, there have come 

 various reports about its usefulness and productiveness which 

 make it seem probable that there are better fruiting strains there 

 than we have in America. In northern Chosen (Korea) Mr. J. D>. 

 Hubbard, of the Oriental Consolidated Mining Co., of Unsa, informed 

 the writer in 1 909 that this species was known there as the tara, or 

 wild fig, and that it climbed 30 feet high and fruited profusely. 



ACTINIDIA CALLOSA. 



The species Actinidia callosa Lindl. is allied to A. arguta and 

 probably has not been grown outside of arboretums and botanic 

 gardens in America. 



'Issued Jan. 18, 1913. 

 [Cir. 110] 7 



