14 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPOETED. 



37647 to 37678— Contd. (Quoted notes by Mr. F. N. Meyer.) 



days, preferably in the wind, to let them dry. Meantime the 

 peelings have been carefully dried in the sun and kept in airy 

 baskets. The fruits are now taken from the strings and put into 

 baskets and jars with the dried peelings between and over them, 

 and they are now ready for the consumer. 



"Another method of drying, which is often practiced with the 

 smaller varieties, is to run a knife point in a spiral or horizontal 

 way through the skin of the fruits, then to put them in the sun 

 on coarse matting. After they have been drying for several weeks 

 they are thrown into a pile and covered with matting or sack- 

 ing, allowing them to sweat. When through with this process 

 they are ready for the market. Persimmons treated in this way 

 are, as a rule, of a quality much inferior to those that have been 

 given more care, but on the other hand they sell so cheaply that 

 even coolies and beggars regale themselves on them. 



" These dried persimmons are a most wholesome and pleasant 

 food, comparing very favorably with dried figs, and often even 

 preferable to them, being of less cloying sweetness and not pos- 

 • sessing the multitude of objectionable small seeds. There are 



large sections in the United States, especially in the Southwest, 

 where no doubt the dried-persimmon industry could be success- 

 fully established, and, with up-to-date methods of drying and 

 curing, a much cleaner and probably superior article could be 

 obtained than the product seen in China, and the nation would 

 be richer by a new and wholesome food product. Besides these 

 dried persimmons, the Chinese manufacture sugar, spirits, and 

 vinegar from different varieties." 



37649. "(No. 1110.) A Chinese variety of persimmon, said to be 

 large, of flat shape with circular incisions, of orange color; 

 seedless, having in some fruits furrows on the top. The fruits 

 do not keep well, and they resist drying, Chinese name Sheng ti 

 shih tzu, meaning ' measure-box persimmon.' This variety seems 

 to be like the Tamopan." 



37650. "(No. 1111.) A Chinese variety of persimmon, said to be 

 large, of square, flat shape; of reddish color; partly seedless. A 

 good keeper. Local name Mu shih tzu, meaning ' w^ood persim- 

 mon.' " 



37651. "(No, 1112.) A Chinese variety of persimmon, said to be 

 of small to medium size, of red color, with blotches here and 

 there on the skin, seedless, and of very fine flavor. Local name 

 Chi hsin hung shih tzu, meaning ' chicken-heart red persimmon.' " 



37652. "(No. 1113.) A Chinese variety of persimmon, said to be 

 of small to medium size, of rounded form, color red, partly seed- 

 less; can not be kept long, fresh or dried. Local name Shan ko 

 tan shih tzu, meaning ' mountlike persimmon.' " 



37653. "(No. 1114.) A Chinese variety of persimmon, said to be 

 small, of round-oblong shape, red, seedless. Good only when 

 fresh. Local name Chi chien hung shih tzu, meaning 'tongue- 

 point red persimmon.' " 



37654. "(No. 1115.) A Chinese variety of persimmon, said to be 

 small, of round-oblong shape, color orange-red, partly seedless; 



