66 THF, LVCIinF. AM) Ll'NGAN 



them by weight at the time they are removed from the trees. The 

 contract calls for the removal of all layered branches whether dead or 

 living and for payment of same. It is said that the average price 

 paid for these layered branches is S2.50 Mexican per tan (tarn $5. 

 or 133 Ibs. } for. the No mi chih (m%& } variety and $2.25 for the 

 Huai chih (*$!) This nursery business in lychee and lungan 

 nursery stock is an extensive industry and one often sees boat loads 

 of lychee nursery stock going out from Fang Yung Fung Chung [ISJflP 

 (fig. 18). 



Layered lychee trees will bear in a few years after they have 

 been set out into the permanent position, but they are not in their 

 prime until from 20-40 years. If properly cared for, they may re- 

 main good fruiting trees for more than a hundred years. Chinese 

 history is full of records of large old profitable trees and one author, 

 Ts'ai Hsiang (US), 1 speaks of a tree three hundred years old which 

 continued to prosper in leaves and fruit. Sung Chia SKaO 2 referred 

 to a "big tree requiring several tens of men to get around it, the 

 trunk of which is empty and inside of which four or five men can 

 sit." 



About Canton thousands of these layered trees are also plant- 

 ed in pots. In the world famous gardens at Hua ti ( Fa ti $;ifi) one 

 will find well established trees of many varieties growing in shallow 

 pots (fig. 39). These can be purchased at prices ranging from 40 

 cents to $1.50 gold. The Chinese are very fond of using potted fruits 

 as ornamentals and Chinese gardeners do not fail to bring young potted 

 lychee into bearing (fig. 40) for this purpose. Lychee trees are 

 often thus sent north, a careful calculation being made so as to have 

 them fruit about the time of their arrival. 



1 TS'AI HSIANG (H^), Li Chih P'u (!) in Ku Chin Tu Shu 

 Chi Cheng (jfi^MMUjfc), P Wu Hui Pien (1$4$?Hf@), Ts ' ao Mllh Tien 

 section 273 (m^W't+H^), /-/ Chih Pit 1 (&*-), page 3 



2 SUNG CHIA (&&}, Li Chih P'u (J^tff) in Ku Chin Tu Shu 

 Chi Cheng (W^BWIiJfc), Po Wu Hui Pien (1$4&f||g), Ts'ao Muh Tien 

 section 273 (H W-fe-hH* ) , U Chih Pit ] (&-), pa&e 9 



