286 THE GARDENER. [June 



I will commence with fruits. Pears are grown here to great perfection ; and 

 the Japanese are wonderful in the art of grafting trees. They spread them out 

 flat on bamboos after they have grown to about three feet in the shoot, and as 

 you walk through the orchards, the Pears, &c., are within reach above your 

 head. Plums, Oranges, and Grapes, are in great quantities, and of a very rich 

 flavour. Peaches, Chestnuts, Loquats, Salisburia nuts, and Diosp3rros Kaki, are 

 the most common fruit-trees of the country. The winter vegetables are Carrots, 

 Onions of several kinds, " Lobbo," a kind of Radish, " Gobbo" (Arctium gobbo), 

 Kelumbium roots, Lily roots, Turnips, Ginger, Scirpus tuberosus. Arum esculen- 

 tum, and Yams. Some of the forest-trees are of great size, the largest being the 

 Pinus Massoniana, P, densiflora, Abis firma, Retinospova pisifera, P. obtusa, Cryp- 

 tomeria japonica. The latter grows to an immeuse size, and seems to reach the 

 greatest perfection. There is also the Thujopsis dolabrata and Sciadopitys ver- 

 ticillata. The Maiden-hair tree (Salisburia adiantifolia) is very common, and is 

 generally found in great numbers at all the temples, and attains a great size. 

 The Japanese eat the fruit from it, which is called "Gingko." The evergreen 

 Oaks, in great variety, are very common, and attain a goodly size, and are most 

 ornamental trees. Chestnuts of several kinds are also common : the leaves of 

 one species (Castania japonica) are used to feed silk-worms. Maples are also 

 common trees ; many of the leaves are beautifully marked with various colours, 

 and almost all of them take on deep colours as they ripen in the autumn, and 

 produce a most beautiful and striking appearance upon the landscape. The Elm 

 (Ulmus Keaki) is, however, the most valuable timber-tree in Japan, reaching as 

 it does immense proportions. It has been now introduced into Europe. Amongst 

 shrubs the Weigela is common, is covered with flowers in the summer months, 

 and is really ornamental in a garden. I have a beautiful specimen in mine. 

 The Osmanthus aquifolius, which is covered with a sweet-scented white flower, 

 is also very pretty. My friend informs me it belongs to the OleaceaB (Olive tribe), 

 and is a fine evergreen shrub. The variegated Holly is very plentiful, and makes 

 a pretty contrast with other shrubs. The suburbs of Tokia are remarkable for 

 the number of their gardens, the most extensive of which are situated at Ogee, 

 Dang-o-zaka Ogee, and Su-mae-yah. At the latter place the entire country is 

 covered with gardens ; and one straight road, more than a mile in length, is lined 

 on both sides with them. Each nursery covers three or four acres of land. They 

 are nicely kept, and contain thousands of plants, both in pots and in the open 

 ground. In another letter I will give you a description of one of them, and an 

 article on dwarfing, &c. — Yours, &c., J. Tasker Foster. 



[The Editor of the ' Yorkshire Gazette ' has kindly forwarded us proofs of 

 several communications received from his son, who is Telegraph Engineer to the 

 Emperor of Japan. The above is one of the letters. — Ed.] 



SPECIAL FRUIT PRIZES. 



]\[essrs James Veitch & Sons offer the following liberal prizes to be competed 

 for at the Royal Horticidtural Society's Gardens, at Kensington, on the date of 

 their grand Rose show, July 2, 1873. 



1st Prize. 2d Prize. 3d Prize. 

 For the best collection of fruit in ten distinct kinds £20 £15 £10 

 (In this class only one variety of Pine, Melon, 

 or Strawberry will be admitted; but Black 

 and White Grapes, Black and White Cherries, 

 and Black and Yellow Plums, will be con- 

 sidered distinct. ) 



