122 Sketch of the Tropical Fruits likely to be worth 



principally esteemed for their flowers, and as objects of orna- 

 ment; the tree Peaches are what the Chinese cultivate for 

 the sake of their fruit ; and some of them grow to the height 

 of forty or fifty feet ; but these seem to be of a particular 

 kind, and their fruit is of middling quality. In favourable 

 seasons the markets of Pekin abound in the greatest variety of 

 Peaches ; some of which arrive at a prodigious size, being much 

 larger than they ever are in France. The Chinese gardeners 

 speak of fruit weighing two pounds, and Marco Polo asserts 

 that he has seen them of that size in the district of Cang- 

 chew ;* the largest, however, which the French Missionaries 

 at Pekin ever saw, were about three inches and a half long, 

 and three inches broad. These large varieties are very beau- 

 tiful, but their taste is in general inferior to their appearance. 

 Those, however, of Siang-chou (a villa of the Emperor's) equal 

 the most melting and delicious of Europe, more especially 

 one sort which is late and of an indifferent appearance, but 

 of an exquisite flavour. The varieties are classed according 

 to the form, colour, size, and time of ripening of their fruit. 

 Some have a green flesh, others white, pale yellow, orange, 

 and marbled ; their form is flat, round, oval, or produced on 

 one side into a beak, which again is either straight or curved. 

 The gardeners possess the secret of preserving fruit gathered 

 in October until January, and with all the beauty, freshness, 

 and flavour which it possessed when first taken from the tree. 

 Although well acquainted with the European method, they 

 prefer budding their fine kinds upon stocks raised from the 

 seed of the best varieties.-f 



* Marco Polo, by Marsden, page 464. 



f Memoires sur les Chinois, Vol. xi. page 280. 



