92 AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. 



31. Actinidia arguta, Planchon {Trochostigma arguta, S. and Z.), 

 Jap. Kokuwa, Shira-kuchi-katsura, and Saru-nashi (monkey pear), 

 is like all Actinidise a deciduous climbing shrub, which is fond of 

 insinuating itself into the crowns of low trees, whence it hangs down 

 with its numerous branches and plentiful fruit. Its white blossoms 

 resemble in shape those of the tea-plant, and appear in June. 

 The berries ripen in autumn, and are like gooseberries in appear- 

 ance and size. When over-ripe, they smell like pears. Bohmer 

 found their taste pleasing, a combination of the flavour of figs and 

 grapes. I have eaten them several times, even when over-ripe, 

 finding them in this condition not so agreeable. 



32. Acthiidia polygama, Planchon, Jap. Matatabi, is a climbing 

 shrub of frequent occurrence in thickets. Its soft, ripe berries, with 

 five-fold green calyxes, are of elliptical form ; in this, as in size 

 and the manner in which they taper off, bearing a resemblance to 

 acorns. Its flesh is yellow and filled with small seeds, and is not 

 eaten, as far as I know, although Kinch says this fruit is edible. 

 The whole plant, however, has a remarkable property — like Valer- 

 iana officinalis — it attracts cats ! This is referred to in a well- 

 known Japanese saying : 



" Neko ni matatabi," which means as much as : " He can't let 

 it alone, any more than a cat (neko) can matatabi." Both of these 

 Actinidiae exist now among us as ornamental climbing shrubs. 



33. Rubiis, Jap. Ichigo. Among the twenty-two species repre- 

 sented in Japan, belonging nearly all to the raspberry-group, there 

 are only a few with edible fruit. Siebald enumerates six, Kinch 

 eleven ; but several should certainly be struck out of their lists. 

 The raspberry proper, Riibus Idmis, L., var. strigosa, seems to be 

 restricted to a i&sN localities in the island of Yezo, and so, too, 

 with the whortleberry or moss-berry R. cJiamcemoruSy L., which is 

 so general on the moors of Northern Europe. In addition to them, 

 Kinch mentions, R. triflorus, Richards, R. Bitei'geri, Miq., R. cor- 

 chorifolius, L. fil., R. incisus, Thunb., R. cratcBgifoliiis, Bunge, R. 

 trifidus, Thunb., R. TJiunbergii, S. and Z. R. parvifolius, L., R. 

 tokkura, S. and Z. I have tasted the products of most of these 

 varieties and found them insipid. 



34. Fragaria vesca, L., also called Ichigo in Japanese. I have 

 only once found ripe, well-flavoured strawberries in Japan, and then 

 it was on Fujisan. I have never seen either wild strawberries or 

 those raised in gardens offered for sale, which is proof enough of 

 their rarity. The name Oranda-ichigo for Fragaria chilensis, Ehrh., 

 and F. grajtdiflora, Ehrh., the pine-apple strawberry, points to the 

 introduction of these species by the Dutch. 



35. Rosa rzigosa, Thunb., Jap. Hama-nashi, i.e., coast-pear. The 

 large onion-shaped heps or false fruit of this beautiful dune-plant 

 are eaten, not only by Ainos, but also by Japanese. 



2)6. Vaccinitim, L. From this division the blackberry and the blue- 

 berry ( V. Myi^tillis, L., and V. nliginosum, L.) are absent altogether, 



