36 AGRICULTURAL EXPLORATIONS IN THE ORCHARDS OF CHINA. 



The soil best suited to this fruit seems to be a porous clay, charged 

 with more or less alkaline matter, like the loess in northern China. 

 The jujube also thrives better in regions where the rainfall is rather 

 light and the winters dry and cold than in moist, mild-wintered 

 sections. 



In general, jujubes are grown in small groves or as single trees, 

 but here and there one also meets regular orchards of them, cov- 

 ering perhaps 10 or 20 acres. In some localities the farmers plant 

 them in rows through the fields. It seems that planted in this way, 

 at a distance of from 5 to 10 feet apart, they produce the largest 

 quantity and the best quality of fruit. When in regular orchards 

 the distance apart is from 15 to 25 feet, depending upon the variety 

 and upon the personal preference of the planter. 



The farmers, here and there, also have the habit of ringing their 

 trees every year, claiming that thereby they considerably increase 

 the crop. (See PL VI. fig. 2.) The jujube is about the only fruit tree 

 around the roots of which the soil is not regularly cultivated, because 

 the yield is found to be just as large without this work as with it. 



There are a great many varieties of the jujube in cultivation, 

 probably not less than a hundred, varying in size, color, shape, 

 quality, etc. As the varieties do not come true to seed, the trees are 

 mostly propagated by the suckers which are nearly always found at 

 their bases. Eoot cuttings can also be taken. Some varieties, 

 however, do not readily produce suckers, and root cuttings are not 

 successful. Then the Chinese resort to grafting the scions on wild 

 stock. This grafting practice, however, seems to be confined to only 

 a few localities, where the growers are men of considerable experience. 



The fruit of these jujubes is nearly all of a shining brown color and 

 is very plump when fresh. When dried it has more of a red color 

 and becomes shriveled. It is eaten fresh, dried, preserved in sugar, 

 stewed, or smoked. Some varieties are better for one purpose, 

 others for another. 



The different varieties that came under the writer's notice are 

 enumerated as follows: 



'"Ming tsao." a rather large-fruited variety, growing near Peking 

 and Jehol. China. The fruit is of a light brown-red color, from 1\ 

 to H inches long, of oblong shape, and quite sweet. The trees 

 remain small, grow very erect, occupy but little space, and are almost 

 devoid of spines. They sucker and spread very rapidly when young. 



" Ya tsao." growing near Jehol, China. The fruit is large, from 

 H to 2 inches long, tapering toward the peduncle, of a dark brown- 

 red color, and not very sweet. The trees remain -mall, grow fairly 

 erect, but are very spiny, and sucker and spread freely. 



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