270 



THE ECONOMIC PLANTS OF JAPAN— V. 



ited area is suited to its growth, as it does not readily 

 adapt itself to climates which differ much from that pe- 

 culiar to its original habitat. It is a good-sized tree, said 

 to attain a diameter of two to three feet. A full sized 

 illustration of the leaf and fruit is given in Fig. 5. The 

 fruit is of the size of a small walnut. The outer covering 

 consists of a thin, brittle shell, under which is a lay- 

 er of a soft, aromatic and delicious pulp ; finally in 

 the center is a rather large, smooth, hard-shelkd seed, 

 from which the pulp readily separates. It is one of the 

 most delicately flavored fruits that the tropics produce. 

 In a dried state it will keep a long time, and can be 

 transported to distant parts. Thus dried, the pulp 

 shrinks from the shell, and becomes tough and less aro- 

 matic and delicate. Trans-Pacific steamers often have 

 this dried fruit on their tables, and it can be obtained in 

 all the larger markets of the east. 



In this connection I may also mention the cocoanut 

 palm, Cocos nucifera, L.; Jap., Yashi, Yashio, which 

 is likewise grown in the extreme south of the empire, es- 

 pecially on the Riukiu (Loo Choo) islands. The fruit is 

 well known to every housewife in America, and does not 

 need description here. 



There are two more nuts grown in Japan, both on 

 small herbaceous plants, which should be briefly men- 

 tioned here. One is the peanut, Arachis hypog^a, L. ; 

 Jap., Tojiii-mame, Nankin-mame . This plant, so well 

 known in America, was brought to Japan from China. 

 This fact is confirmed by its name, Tpjin-incitite meaning 

 literally Chinamen's bean It is cultivated somewhat 

 extensively in certain districts, particularly so in Chiba 

 prefecture, which lies to the northeast of Tokio. One 

 object in growing it is the production of oil, but large 



quantities are also consumed in the same manner as with 

 us. Fresh and roasted peanuts may be found in green- 

 grocers' and fruit stores nearly all over the country, 

 through the fall and winter. In Tokio, one may even 

 meet with the familiar peanut roaster fitted out with 

 steam whistle and other modern improvements, and 

 occasionally an enterprising peddler with a portable 

 machine of this pattern traverses the streets, blowing 

 his whistle and exchanging nuts for pennies to the great 

 delight of young Japan. The plant is cultivated in es- 

 sentially the same manner as in America. 



The other nut-bearing plant referred to above is the 

 water chestnut, Trapa bispinosa, Roxb. ; Jap., Hishi. 

 This is a small water plant with running stems and float- 

 ing orbicular leaves, broader . than long, dentate, with 

 broad petioles. The flowers are small, white, turning 

 pink. The fruit is a nut with an edible kernel that much 

 resembles chestnuts in flavor. The hardened calyx 

 forms the shell, which has two opposite recurved projec. 

 tions or horns, from which circumstance it appears that 

 it is sometimes referred to here as "the horned nut of 

 China." The plant may be found everywhere in stag- 

 nant, shallow ponds and pools. It is not so common in 

 Japan as in China and India, where, in some places, it 

 forms an important part of the food of the people. A 

 good-sized nut will have a kernel nearly as large as the 

 kernel in a common small chestnut. 



A variety of this species has been named incisa, Fran- 

 chet and Savatier [Ti-npa incisa, Sieb. and Zucc); Jap., 

 Hemi-hishi , the nut of which does not essentially differ 

 from the foregoing. It, too, is of common occurrence 

 both wild and cultivated. 



Kansas Agricultural College. C. C. Georgeson. 



n^oihing tends to destroy breadth of tone so much as any object of consider- 

 able si{e, and of a brilliant white. It stands harshly apart from all the soft 

 shades of the scene. —A. J. DOWNING. 



