382 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



method of application practicable because of the position in which the trees 

 are grown. Scale control is usually accomplished by fumigation, but this is 

 proving to be a very expensive proposition, as the potassium cyanide, which is 

 still used, costs approximately seventy-five cents per pound. In general fumi- 

 gation the work is done entirely during the daytime, and oiled paper tents are 

 used instead of canvas. These paper tents are considerably cheaper in initial 

 cost than those made of canvas, but are not nearly so durable and require 

 extensive patching, so that for continuous work the cost of the two types is 

 about equal. 



CHINA. 



The writer's observations upon citrus culture in China cover only the sections 

 from Foochow southwards to Canton, though citrus is grown quite extensively 

 in several provinces further north. It was not possible to secure any accurate 

 data bearing upon the acreage or production in these provinces because such 

 information is not collected by the government or by any other agency. The 

 methods employed in growing this fruit are practically identical with those 

 used several hundred years ago, as no scientific study of the various problems 

 confronting the industry has as yet been undertaken. 



Climate. 

 The climate of the citrus producing sections of China is in general somewhat 

 colder during the winter than that of southern California and covers a longer 

 period of time. More or less injury to the trees occasionally results from 

 unusually cold weather, but is no more frequent than in this state. The 

 summers are extremely hot and the humidity high during the entire season. 



Varieties. 



There are three varieties of oranges grown generally throughout China, these 

 being the Ponkwan, or Mandarin, the Suikwan, and the Tankwan. The first- 

 named variety is by far the most extensively grown and is an excellent fruit 

 for local consumption. It is very loose skinned, sweet, and In general some- 

 what similar to the Satsuma orange of Japan. The Suikwan is not as sweet 

 as the Ponkwan, but has a much tighter skin, which gives it better shipping 

 qualities. The third variety, the Tankwan, is probably a hybrid of the two 

 first-named varieties. It is rather small and with a medium thick skin, and 

 has much the flavor of the tangerine, which it somewhat resembles. 



Two varieties of pomelo are grown in the south China section, particularly 

 in the vicinity of Amoy and Swatow. The Matabuntan, or white pomelo, is the 

 best and is more extensively grown than the Toyu, or red variety. The fruits 

 in both cases have a very heavy skin, often one-half inch in thickness, and 

 are very large. A number of fruits in the local market were weighed, and 

 averaged nearly six pounds. The flavor is excellent and quite distinct from 

 that of the California or Japanese varieties. In serving, the skin is first 

 removed and then the tough membrane surrounding each section is taken 

 off, after which portions of the section may be easily removed without breaking 

 the cells. 



A considerable proportion of the fruit produced is sold in the local market, 

 the value ordinarily being from G to 8 cents each. The fruits are divided 

 and sold in sections rather than as a whole. Large quantities are also exported 

 to various ports on the China coast, usually being transported in bulk by 

 sailing vessels. Often it is necessary to carry the fruit long distances overland, 

 and this is done by native carriers, or coolies, each of whom carries two large 

 baskets on the ends of a pole slung over the shoulder. A single coolie will 

 often carry a load of 200 pounds in this way 20 or 30 miles per day. 



Cultural Methods. 

 The cultural methods employed in China depend largely upon the section in 

 which the trees are grown. In the Foochow district oranges are produced 

 almost exclusively upon the level areas among, or adjacent to, the rice paddies. 

 Inasmuch as these are constantly flooded it is necessary to adopt some means 

 of drawing off the surplus water from the surface soil. As a grove usually 

 comprises only about seventy-five to one hundred trees, this is accomplished 

 by making a large excavation in the center of the grove, this usually measuring 

 nearly one hundred feet in width and about ten feet in depth. The water 

 which accumulates in this reservoir is pumped out from time to time into the 



