73 



the books— an idea of the fruit-growing conditions of China and the 

 location of the principal fruit districts. 



Deciduous fruits are grown from the Shanghai region northward. 

 The peach is practically the only fruit grown to any extent about 

 Shanghai. The great apple district of China is the region lying back 

 of the city of Chifu in the north. The industry here started many 

 years ago by a missionary, Dr. Nevius, has assumed very considerable 

 proportions and spread over quite a large province, and the output of 

 fruit is found in the markets all over central and southern China. A 

 brief stop only was made at Shanghai in the first instance while prepa- 

 rations were being made for the trip to north China, the distance 

 between Shanghai and Tientsin necessitating a five days' ocean voyisvge. 



At Chifu an exploration was made on horseback through the districts 

 lying back of the city, a good many orchards being visited, and nota- 

 bly the original orchard planted by Dr. Nevius, and the gardens and 

 smaller orchards immediately surrounding his residence, some little 

 distance outside of the city. Most unfortunate for the history of the 

 fruit development of this region and of the native fruits of this part 

 of China is Dr. Nevius's recent death. His widow, whom 1 met, was 

 unable to give me any information, except that the doctor had been 

 very active as a horticulturist during all his long residence there (thirty 

 years), and had been-the exciting agent in the development of the fruit 

 industry of that region. His stock had mostlj' been obtained from 

 America, and American varieties of apples and pears were being grown 

 in the province. Throughout this region I found a mild infestation 

 with the San Jose scale, with the accompanying presence of the 

 Okilocorus simili?.'^ 



The occurrence of the San Jose scale about Chifu was not signifi- 

 cant, and threw no light on the subject of origin on account of the fact 

 of importations from America of stock (doubtless much of it infested) 

 and its dissemination over this province. The fact that the scale insect 

 was not very troublesome in this region was, however, very significant, 

 and this was evidently due to the general presence of the ladybird. 

 Chalcidid parasitism was not common, and the scale was hardly abun- 

 dant enough to develop much of such parasitism. 



The next point examined after Chifu was Tientsin, and the region 

 lying between this considerable city and its port town of Tonkoo, 

 after which the trip was continued to the capital city of Pekin. Much 

 of the region of China bordering the gulf of Pechili is perfectly level 

 and flat, and only raised a few feet above the ocean. It i:s devoted to 

 the growth of cereals, wheat, barley, and millet, and orchard plant- 

 ings are practically wanting until one gets into the hill country lying 



"■ Bia^ns pentagona, previously found throughout Japan, was also widely spread in 

 China, occurring from Pekin southward to the Malay Peninsula and into Java, 

 exhibiting in its range a wide diversity of food plants. 



