THE LOQUAT OR JAPANESE MEDLAR ] 301 



Pruning should be limited to the removal of dead or 

 diseased wood, the removal of large branches with the 

 consequent formation of large wounds being specially 

 prejudicial to the health of the loquat, notwithstanding 

 the great hardness of the wood, and the fact that it is 

 little liable to canker. The dry foliage of the loquat is 

 used as bedding for animals, and is also frequently made 

 use of for the preparation of leaf-mould. For this purpose 

 it is collected towards the close of summer, and heaped 

 up in a clean enclosure where it is sprayed frequently 

 with water to undergo decomposition, and in about a 

 year it is reduced to a mould of fairly good quality for 

 greenhouse use and for plants requiring a soil of leaf- 

 mould, being in this respect equal or superior to leaf- 

 mould prepared from the leaves of the carob cree. The 

 wood of the tree is of a reddish hue, not unlike mahogany, 

 and takes a fine polish, but has no appreciable veining ; 

 and as it is also very hard and tough it makes very good 

 handles for tools. 



Besides the common seedling types of the loquat, 

 which are innumerable, there are about 40 distinct sorts 

 known to cultivators in the Mediterranean region and 

 elsewhere, and the following are grown in local gardens. 



1. THE SEEDLESS LOQUAT. The fruit is large, 

 oval, and the flesh is thick and acidulous; contains one 

 or more small abortive seeds incapable of germination. 

 Introduced from Sicily in 1904. 



2. THE SWEET LOQUAT has originated in the 

 Boschetto Gardens as a chance seedling. The original 

 tree is now over 50 years old. The fruit is of the average 

 size, rather elongated, with small, long, angular kernels. 

 The flesh is very sweet, being quite sweet when just 

 turning yellow. 



3. THE PEAR-SHAPED LOQUAT. The fruit is large, 

 pear shaped, produced into a fleshy protuberance on 

 which the stalk is inserted. This, and the following sorts 

 usually contain only one large round kernel or two hemi- 



