526 



THE ECONOMIC PLANTS OF JAPAN. 



even there. The native sorts have a thin rind and firm, 

 greenish yellow flesh, but they lack flavor and sweetness. 

 They are cultivated in hills, but instead of planting the 

 seed directly in the hill it is frequently started on a gentle 

 hotbed made of rubbish, and the plants set out when 

 well under way. They can always be found in the stalls 

 of the vegetable-dealers during the latter part of the 

 summer. They are eaten ripe, and immature fruit is also 

 frequently pickled or sliced and dried like cucumbers. 



C. FLEXUOSUS, L. ; Jap., Azuo-uri, Tsuke-uri. Along 

 green variety cultivated like the muskmelon. It is always 

 used green, being pickled like the daikon (the large rad- 

 ish), which it is said to excel in eating qualities 

 when properly prepared. It is also excellent for 



ribbed squash ; 0-tonasu, a variety like the last, but 

 larger ; A'lkuza-tonasu , a deeply furrowed flat squash ; 

 Ko-tonasu. small and flat ; Kabochia, a rather large, 

 oblong and rough variety. All of them are distinguished 

 for their rough, warty appearance. "Tonasu" means 

 Chinese egg-plant, which would indicate that it has been 

 introduced from China. It has been grown by a few ex- 

 perimenters in this country, among whom are Professor 

 Troop, of Indiana, who made a report on the subject 

 some time ago. The Japanese squash may be sure of a 

 favorable reception by the horticultural public. 



MoMORDicA CHARANTIA, L. ; Jap., Tsuru-reishi, Niga- 

 uri. This plant is not a native, having been in- 

 troduced (probably from China), but it is never- 

 theless quite commonly cultivated, partly for its 

 fruit, which is not poisonous like that of some 

 allied species, and partly for ornament. It has 

 become wild in central Japan. The vines are 



Fig. 2.— The Towel-Gourd {Lu^h petoia.). 



preserving and for making sweet pickles in the same 

 manner as American housekeepers use watermelon-rinds. 



CucuRBiTA Melo-Pepo, L. ; Jap., Tonasii, Bofuri. 

 (The Squash). The Japanese squash is worthy of the 

 attention of our horticulturists. From the utilitarian 

 standpoint it has more genuine good qualities to recom- 

 mend it than any of the other cucurbits peculiar to Japan. 

 Most of the varieties have large fruits with very firm flesh 

 of excellent quality, and they are splendid keepers. Some 

 of them can be found in the market until spring or early 

 summer. They are cultivated in hills, as with us. The 

 following are some of the varieties : 7'ouasii , the most 

 common kind, a medium-sized dark green, flat, warty and 



angular and hairy, with a single tendril on the axil of 

 each leaf. The leaf is 5-7 parted and palmately veined, 

 the lobes having a few pointed serratures. The flowers 

 are yellow, one inch in diameter, and borne on a long 

 pedicel with an orbicular bract a couple of inches from 

 its base. The fruit is oblong, very warty, six inches long 

 and yellow, and when ripe it bursts open, displaying the 

 bright crimson envelopes of the flat gray seeds. This 

 crimson covering of the seeds is edible, and has a pleas- 

 ant though somewhat insipid taste. Fruit and leaf are 

 illustrated in fig. i, on preceding page. The split fruits 

 are often displayed in the markets, and have a luscious, 

 attractive appearance. The vines should either be grown 



