THE KUMQUAT 8. 57 



Fa-Tee. He believed, however, that it was of more north- 

 ern origin, for he had met with numerous groves of it on 

 the island of Chusan and elsewhere in that portion of 

 China. There it grew in far greater perfection than in 

 the vicinity of Canton. Thus it would appear that the 

 cultivation of the kumquat in China extends at least from 

 latitude 20 to 30 degrees, a range of 10 degrees. It might 

 be noted here that the main portion of Japan lies between 

 30 and 48 degrees, but the kumquat is cultivated proba- 

 bly only in the southern portions of that country. It 

 must, however, be borne in mind that neither the climate of 

 Japan nor of those portions of China to which reference 

 has just been made, is by any means so variable as the 

 climate of some of the citrus districts in our own country. 

 In Northern Florida the kumquat has proved quite hardy 

 and it appears to be considerably hardier than most other 

 members of the citrus family. The natural hardiness of 

 the kumquat is increased by using Citrus trifoliata as a 

 stock and the low dwarfish habit of the tree gives every 

 opportunity for successful and economical protection. 



The fruit may be eaten raw, and when served in small 

 glasses holding three or four fruits, they make a very 

 pretty addition to the table. If cut with leaves attached 

 they may be used as table decorations. In eating the fruit 

 the skin is not removed, and the spicy, aromatic rind and 

 acid pulp make a very delightful and palatable combina- 

 tion. An excellent preserve can also be made from the 

 fruit; and the Chinese export considerable quantities put 

 up in small stone jars. 



The kumquat cannot be regarded as anything else 

 than a fancy fruit, and in most cases a demand must be 

 created. Any market in the country could very easily be 

 glutted by large shipments, but in a small way, the fruit 



