1892.] ESSAYS. 105 



waterfall, river, bridges, knotted and gnarled heroes of a 

 thousand storms, with shrubs and flowers, rock work and appro- 

 priate animal life, all within the limits of a few square yards if 

 need be ; but all presented in a manner to inspire respect, 

 admiration, and wonder, — such are some of their most striking 

 peculiarities. 



In regard to the fruits and flowers peculiar to the more 

 southern portions of the empire and not at all cultivated in 

 Yesso, and therefore not yet alluded to, I shall have little to 

 say. My knowledge of some of them has been largely acquired 

 at second hand, and in the case of some of the fruits is almost 

 entirely confined to the acquaintance one gets with the fruits of 

 a more tropical clime by eating them in his northern home. 



Of the orange and persimmon, even from this acquaintance, 

 I am inclined to speak in the highest terms. The orange family 

 is represented in Japan by some seven or eight species, includ- 

 ing the common lemon and other species which more resemble 

 limes, the grape fruit and citrons ; but with the single exception 

 of the orange (Jap. mikan), Citrus nobilis, all seem to me 

 to be inferior to the western fruits of similar varieties. 



The Japanese orange, however, now beginning to be common 

 in our markets under the names Tangerine and Mandarin, in 

 its highest perfection is a delicious fruit. There are, however, 

 many varieties and some of them are quite the reverse of deli- 

 cious ; and I regret to note that so far as my somewhat limited 

 observation extends, the varieties put upon our markets are 

 usually of this class. Only once have I succeeded in buying 

 Mandarin oranges here, which were even fairly good, judged by 

 my Japanese experience. The best Japanese orange is rather 

 small ; with a fine, thin, almost translucent skin, seedless, and 

 very juicy and sweet. It is perhaps rather less high-flavored 

 than the best Florida fruit ; but owing to the peculiarity of 

 peeling and separating into sections so readily, I believe most 

 would agree with me that the eating is better calculated to 

 give pleasure. The plant which produces this orange is small, 

 being little more than a bush. This fruit has been cultivated 

 in southern Japan for hundreds of years, and in the season is 

 abundant and cheap all over the empire. When the ])etter 



