298 [ THE LOQUAT OR JAPANESE MEDLAR 



but declines visibly in vigour and productiveness after the 

 6oth year of its life. In shallow soils and dry situations 

 the tree is short lived, hardly reaching 40 years, and in 

 situations which are too open and exposed the tree is 

 dwarfed and becomes unproductive. The large lanceolate, 

 deep green, glossy foliage of the loquat is highly orna- 

 mental, and on its account the tree is frequently planted 

 in pleasure grounds to hide unsightly architectural 

 features. The tree blooms in October and November, 

 the small pale yellow blossoms being produced in large 

 clusters or panicles at the estremity of the twigs, and 

 exhale a delicate fragrance. The fruit grows very slowly 

 in the winter months, but makes up for lost time towards 

 the close of February and matures in March -May, and 

 along with the strawberry, is the first fruit to appear on 

 our tables, but independently of its earliness it is a desi- 

 rable dessert fruit. The ripe fruit is oval, 3 to 5 c. m. 

 long, golden yellow or yellowish orange, with a ruddy 

 flush towards the sun. It has a thick rind which peels 

 off easily, and contains five large angular chocolate 

 coloured pips or kernels, often reduced to one or two 

 large rounded kernels by the abortion of the others. 

 The flesh is yellowish orange, sweet and refreshing, 

 with a delicious acidity. 



PROPAGATION. Our gardeners propagate the loquat 

 almost exclusively by seed. The kernels are selected 

 from the finest and largest fruits, and should be sown 

 at once after removal from the fruit, as they soon lose 

 their germinating power if kept dry for a few days. A 

 seed bed is prepared in a cool situation, and some leaf- 

 mould or some old and well decayed manure is mixed 

 with the soil to keep it light. The kernels are dibbled 

 in to depth of 3 to 5 c. m. and about 10 c. m. apart. 

 The bed is watered frequently but lightly, just enough 

 to keep the surface in a moist condition, and the first 

 seedlings come up in about two weeks, but germination 

 is frequently protracted for one or two months or more. 



