BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY OF CHINA 93 



XLIL — Fruit Culture at Foochow. 



At Foochow the soil of the Min Biver plain is most 

 valuable and is utlised for the cultivation of rice : on such 

 land there is no room to be found for other produce, fruit 

 trees and orchards are rarely seen there. 



In this district the fruit trees are planted on spare 

 ground ; on the banks of canals : nearby peasant cottages ; 

 on the roadsides, near temples, on hill sides and on terraces. 

 Fine fruit has often been produced here under such condi- 

 tions. The semi-tropical climate of the Eastern portion of 

 Fukien province is favourable for growing subtropical and 

 tropical fruit. As shown in the following short description, 

 a large variety of fruit trees are found in this part of China. 



Peaches in several varieties are cultivated in every 

 Chinese garden. During recent years, the cultivation of 

 imported peaches has replaced that of the native one. 

 Peach orchards are found scattered in Chinese villages in the 

 environs of Foochow, especially on hill-sides. At Foochow 

 peach trees are regarded as ornamental trees and found as 

 such in gardens. 



Plums are cultivated at Foochow T with much less care 

 than peaches and are planted mostly on the dry land of the 

 hill-sides protected from strong winds. The plums cultivated 

 here belong both to the small and large varieties and are red 

 in colour. 



Apricot trees have not been met with in this district. 



The Chinese cherry (Prunus tomentosa) Ying-tao and 

 some other species of cherries grow here to a limited extent. 



Persimmon trees (Dlosphros Kaki) or Tuan-tsao were 

 only seen in a few gardens. 



Mulberry trees at Foochow are not grown for their fruit, 

 and figs are not much known in this district. Sometimes 

 the farmers plant a few trees in their enclosures. 



The grape-vine was seen only in one Chinese fruit 

 garden. It was introuced from the North. 



Laichi and Lungyen (Nephclium litchi and N. longana) 

 are grown in many parts of China, but those from Fukien 

 are regarded as the best. Laichi and lungyen are very 

 common here as the Kaki trees so frequently met with in 

 Japan. All around Foochow w r ill be found large orchards of 

 laichi and lungyen. They are planted on hill-sides, in the 

 river valley, round houses and in gardens. 



Laichi at Foochow were seen in several (5-7) varieties 

 with round, oblong, small and large fruit. It must be said 

 that these trees do not bear fruit every year. A large 

 number of pests attack the bark and the flowers of these 

 trees. 



