SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 



a small soft fruit, while a third grows in the foot- 

 hills and on the plains. 



There are a number of cultivated Pears in China, 

 belonging to three pronounced types. The com- 

 monest of these is characterized by very yellow 

 skin, hard, white, somewhat granular flesh, with 

 no very special flavour. It is juicy and refreshing, 

 but very few Europeans like it. The finest variety, 

 known as Ya-li, comes from Kuo-Hsien in North 

 Shansi, in which district several other well known 

 varieties are cultivated. 



Another type of Pear is the Pai li, which is 

 small with a pale yellow skin and a soft white 

 flesh of a distinct though delicate flavour. This 

 variety is grown round Peking, and is often called 

 the Peking Pear. 



The third type has a dark yellow-brown skin, 

 with very soft, granular, juicy flesh. In flavour 

 this Pear resembles more closely the European 

 varieties, though it is much inferior to them. 

 It is supposed to have been developed from the 

 second mentioned species of AYild Pear. 



A Crab-apple (Malus haccata) is to be found 

 in the northern provinces of China, though it is 

 by no means common. The fruit is very small, 

 though of a good flavour. 



China is very poor in cultivated Apples, only 

 very inferior varieties being grown. Of these 

 the P'ing-kuo is most esteemed by the Chinese. 

 This is a large Apple with a pale green skin and 



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