SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



ii. FRUITS 



North China is well favoured in the quality and 

 variety of her fruit -bearing plants. The Chinese 

 are essentially fruit lovers, and will consume enor- 

 mous quantities when the chance offers. 



Though thriftless or ignorant in the matter of 

 tree-culture for wood, they are skilled in the art 

 of fruit culture, being well acquainted with the 

 various methods of grafting, and judicious in se- 

 lection. In this way some of their favourite 

 fruits, such as peaches and persimmons, have been 

 brought to a high state of perfection. 



On the whole the fruit of this country resembles 

 that of Europe ; but there are some very character- 

 istic kinds. 



The commonest, and perhaps most characteristic 

 of the fruit-bearing trees of the country on the 

 south side of the Great Wall is the Jujube {Zizyphus 

 sativa) or " Tsao." In and round every village 

 and town on the plains and in the lower foothills 

 of Chihli, Shansi and Shensi numbers of these 

 trees may be seen. They are especially abundant 

 in Western Chihli, on the plains of T'ai-yiian Fu 

 and Hsin-Chou in Shansi, along the banks of 

 the Yellow River from He-K'ou to T'ung-kuan, 

 and up all the tributaries of that river in Shensi 

 and Shansi. In Shantung also the Jujube is ex- 

 tensively cultivated, many specialized varieties 

 being grown there ; but this province scarcely 

 comes under our title. 



226 



