FRUITS AND FLOWERS OF NORTHERN JAPAN. 49 



fruit is decidedl}' but pleasantly laxative to most, — much more so 

 than that of an}- of our fruits, not excepting the imported fig. It 

 must prove a valuable acquisition even for this single quality, 

 were it not moreover sufficiently delicious to repay eating. One 

 attempt only has been made in Yesso to my knowledge to cultivate 

 the fruit; but the plants for this experiment, collected before 

 sufficient acquaintance with the botanical peculiarities of the spe- 

 cies had been acquired, all proved barren. The species is poly- 

 gamo-dioecious, and for fruit it must be propagated by cuttings 

 from fertile plants. A second obstacle to its culture is the fact 

 that a number of years must elapse ere the plant begins to be 

 productive. Just how manj- would, however, be required from 

 cuttings I am not prepared to say. Should the fruit under culti- 

 vation prove as good as when wild it would be well worth a place 

 in our gardens ; and of course there exists a possibility that it 

 may be improved. It flourishes best in rich moist soils. 



A fruit which, from the extent to which it is collected and used 

 in Yesso, perhaps deserves mention next, is that of the rose 

 (Rosa rugosa) called by the Japanese "beach pear." It is so 

 called, doubtless, from the fact that it is especially abundant on 

 the upper reaches of sandy beaches. The hip of this species of 

 rose, as many of 3'ou may know, is unusuallj' large and handsome. 

 In size, it averages larger than the common crab-apple, and the 

 color is a deep scarlet. It is chiefly eaten by the children ; 

 though halved, seeded, and slightl}' salted, it is esteemed a delicacy 

 by many adults. I have tasted it and found it really not so bad 

 as I had expected. Its ornamental qualities are not lost sight of 

 by the Japanese, who have fixed upon a special holiday in July 

 when it is considered eminently the thing both to display this 

 fruit and to partake of it. 



A species of apple (Pyrus Toringo) is common all over Yesso. 

 In rich lands the trees average about as large as crab-apple trees 

 here ; in poor sandy soils it is reduced to a shrub. The fruit is 

 small ; it will hardly average as large as the cranberr3\ The stem 

 is long and slender, the shape that of our apple, and it is puckery 

 and very sour. This species has been commonly used as a stock 

 for grafting our American varieties and answers the purpose 

 excellently. The trees begin bearing at the age of about four 

 years, and trees which began to produce fruit abundantly about 

 1879, were still producing large crops of fine fruit annually, where 

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