THE LITCHI AND ITS RELATIVES 317 



good dinner, even in northern China (where the litchi is not 

 grown) is really complete without some of these delicious little 

 fruits." The dried litchi tastes something like the raisin. 

 Consul P. R. Josselyn of Canton writes : "There are two ways 

 of drying litchis, by sun and by fire. The sun dried litchi 

 has a finer flavor and commands a better price than the fire 

 dried fruit." Only two or three varieties are considered suit- 

 able for drying. Regarding the preserving industry, Josselyn 

 remarks : " It is estimated by dealers that the annual export 

 of tinned litchis from Canton is about 3000 boxes, or 192,000 

 pounds. Each box of preserved litchis contains 48 tins, weigh- 

 ing 1 catty each. Each tin contains about 28 litchis. There 

 are five large dealers in Canton who make a business of pre- 

 serving these litchis. In addition to the preserved litchis 

 exported from Canton large quantities of the fresh fruit are 

 shipped from the producing districts surrounding Canton to 

 Hongkong and are there preserved in tin." 



An analysis of the fresh fruit, made in Hawaii by Alice R. 

 Thompson, shows it to contain : Total solids 20.92 percent, ash 



0.54, acids 1.16, protein 1.15, and total sugars 15.3. 





 Cultivation. 



In general it must be considered that the litchi is tropical 

 in its requirements. It likes a moist atmosphere, abundant 

 rainfall, and freedom from frosts. It can be grown in sub- 

 tropical regions, however, where the climate is moist or if abun- 

 dant water is supplied, and where severe frosts are not commonly 

 experienced. 



Young plants will not withstand temperatures below the 

 freezing point. In regions subject to frost they should, there- 

 fore, be given careful protection during the winter. The 

 mature tree is not seriously injured by several degrees of frost, 

 but at Miami, Florida, plants six feet high were killed by a 

 temperature of 26 above zero. 



