NUTS AND NUT CULTURE. 53 



HAZELNUTS. 



Three wild species of hazelnuts occur in the mountains of northern 

 China, Manchuria, and eastern Siberia. They are Corylus Jietero- 

 pliylla, C. mandshurica, and a third species. They are never culti- 

 vated, but the nuts are collected and sold on the markets throughout 

 the Far East. They are inferior to the filbert, but seem to be able ;o 

 stand, in general, more drought and hardship. For this reason they 

 might be tried in the drier sections of the United States where ordi- 

 nary filberts do not succeed. 



EDIBLE PINE SEEDS. 



Pine kernels are sold in fruit stalls and markets all over the Far 

 East and are eaten as delicacies. Most of these come from the Pinus 

 Jtoraiensis, which grows as a stately tree in the virgin forests of Man- 

 churia, Korea, and eastern Siberia. They are called "Sung tze." 

 (S. P. I. Nos. 20089, 20090, 20315, 20316, and 23220.) 



Besides this pine, there are a few others that supply these kernels. 

 In the Province of Shansi a small round pine kernel is sold. It may be 

 the seed of Pinus bungeana. It is called "Kuo tze" and "Sung tze." 

 (S. P. I. Nos. 21997 and 22691.) In southern and central China some 

 very elongated kernels are occasionally to be had. These nuts are 

 often used by the higher classes for cake and pastry. 



APRICOT KERNELS. 



Foreigners in China are often served in various homes and hotels 

 with so-called almond cake. One of the main ingredients of this cake 

 is sweet kernels, so closely resembling almonds that even intelligent 

 foreigners believe that they are eating genuine almonds. This sup- 

 position has given rise to the statement that almonds grow in China. 

 These so-called Chinese almonds are the kernels of a particular kind 

 of apricot (Prunus armeniaca), grown exclusively for its seeds. 



There are several varieties of apricots that produce these seeds. 

 The best one has small red fruit with large, medium-soft stones and 

 sweet kernels. The tree of this particular variety is of very erect 

 growth, quite distinct from all other varieties of apricots. It is 

 propagated by grafting upon seedling stock. 



Another variety bears somewhat larger fruit, also of a red color, but 

 the tree is of an open habit. Then there is a yellow-fleshed variety 

 that resembles the preceding one very much in habit of growth. The 

 stones of the last two. varieties are not so easily cracked, however, 

 as those of the first-mentioned kind. 



Another variety that came under the writer's notice has a bitter 

 kernel, used only in small quantities to give flavor to confectionery 



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