148 NOTES ON THE AGRICULTURE, 



in length. In its young state the fruit is eaten by the 

 Chinese. The leaves are also eaten cooked. As it is 

 reported by G. A. Stuart, 2 Metaplexis Stauntonii is culti- 

 vated in North China. 



2. — The burdock (Arctium Lappa L.). A plant growing 

 wild in North Manchuria. The long roots of the burdock 

 are eaten by the Chinese. 



3. — Allium sp. A kind of wild onion growing in the 

 fields near Harbin, the bulbs and the leaves of which are 

 eaten by the natives. 



4. — Abut Hon Avicennae Gaertn. A common weed in 

 North Manchuria with small black seeds. The seeds of this 

 plant are eaten by Chinese boys. 



5. — Siberian acacia (Caragana arborescens Lam.). A 

 shrub cultivated at Harbin with yellow flowers and small pods- 

 with small reddish seeds, beans are of 3-6 min. in length and 

 of 3 min. in breadth. The beans are collected by Chinese and 

 eaten cooked. 



XXXVII. — The \Yild Pears of North Manchuria. 



The wild Chinese pear (Pyrus sinensis Lindl.), grows in 

 all Manchurian districts and in many places in North and 

 Middle China, and is found on mountains, in many varieties. 

 In Manchuria it is very abundant, but the cultivated kinds 

 grow only at Kirin, Mukden and in the Southern part of 

 Manchuria. In North Manchuria the wild pear of mountains 

 was seen up to' this date, in three varieties. The first one 

 (See PI. I, Fig. 1) has large fruits 3.5-5 cm. in length, and 

 4-5.5 cm. in breadth, with a small stem of 1.5-2.3 cm. in 

 length. This variety, ripening toward the end of September 

 has a yellowish skin and a very coarse flesh. 



The second variety (See PI. I, Fig. 2) has smaller fruits, 

 round, 3-3.5 cm. in breadth, with a long stem of 3 cm. in 

 length. In the ripened state the fruits were yellowish-red 

 with a coarse flesh. 



The third variety (See PI. I, Fig. 3) has small oblong 

 fruits. 3-4 cm. in length and 2.5-3.5 cm. in breadth and a 

 pedicle of 2 cm. in length. When ripe, the skin was of 

 yellow-reddish in colour, but the flesh was also coarse. 



All three varieties are grown abundantly in forests. 

 They are gathered by the Chinese, sent to the market, eaten 

 by the children fresh, dried for winter and are put in little 

 heaps. The heaps are usually covered with straw. In the 

 heaps the pears with the hard greenish flesh, after fermenta- 



2 Chinese Materia Medica. G. A. Stuart, Shanghai, 1911. 



