118 THE LYCHEE AND LUNGAN 



No effort should be too great to bring about a successful 

 commercial introduction of the lychee into the sub-tropical regions 

 of the West. Search for cold resistant strains should be made in the 

 hope of growing this fruit in Florida and California, and the very best 

 strains of the more tropical forms should be more widely cultivated 

 in the West Indies and in Hawaii. The fact that the lychee is a 

 tree which responds very quickly to a peculiar type of water culture, 

 as practiced by the Chinese living in the river deltas in South China, 

 should lend interest to its possibilities for the low and undeveloped 

 swamp regions of the United States. 



The words of Dr. Bonavia l with regard to the introduction 

 of the lychee into India in an article which he contributed co the 

 Pioneer and which has been quoted in the Economic Products of 

 India by George Watt are applicable to western introduction. He 

 said: * Here then is a fruit tree which resists the heaviest rains, and 

 stands the hottest winds, and also the frosts of these provinces 

 (North- West Provinces). Moreover, it bears annually an abundant 

 crop of fine, well flavored and aromatic fruit, which can readily be 

 sent to distant markets without injury. Instead of being planted by 

 the one or two, it should be planted by the-thousand. Of all I know 

 of the hardiness" and fruitfulness of this remarkable tree, I feel 

 confident that if any individual (or company), possessing the 

 necessary capital, were to plant an extensive orchard of litchi trees, 

 say where canal water would be easily obtained, or where well water 

 is within easy reach, he would very profitably make a life-long 

 business of it." 



( 1 Bonavia, Dr., in Watt, George, A dictionary of the economic products r,J 

 India, 1891, 6 vol., Calcutta, vol. 5, page 347. 



