526 



THE ECONOMIC PLANTS OF JAPAN— VIII. 



of wood as broad as the wood on the cut surface of the 

 cion. In this incision the cion is inserted, the bark 

 clasping it on the outside, and secured with two or three 

 straws of rice halm, which has been moistened and 

 beated with a mallet to make it pliable. This is the 

 universal and very excellent tying material employed by 

 Japanese horticulturists. After grafting, the earth is 

 heaped about the wound, and a flower pot is inverted 

 over the graft. The cions are not tall, having usually 

 three buds. This method is very successful. It is 

 claimed that 98 per cent, grow, and the operation is 

 simply and rapidly done. 



When three years old from the graft and upwards, 

 they are planted in the orchard. They do not receive 

 much training. The Japanese have a theory that the 

 natural and best shape of the tree is like that of the 

 fruit. The trunks are usually about one and a-half feet 

 long, and often the trees branch close to the ground. 

 What pruning they get is usually done in March, and 

 consists only in thinning out the branches when too 

 thick ; they are not shortened. Young orchards are 

 often mulched when it is necessary to keep the soil moist, 

 straw being the common material used. In the north- 

 ern portion of the orange belt young trees require winter 

 protection in many places. This is given by sticking 

 leafy bamboo tops in the ground about them, and when 

 this is insufficient, wrapping with straw. Large trees 

 are often protected by erecting a light scaffolding of bam- 

 boo sticks over them, and covering the top with mats. 



Bearing trees are manured every year, usually in 

 April, and often several times during the year. Fish 

 manure, made from sardines [shiiiie kasti), is a favorite 

 fertilizer for the orange, some growers holding that i*^ 

 increases the sweetness and lustre of the fruit above all 

 other fertilizers. Liquid manure made from night-soil 

 is also a common fertilizer. 



Gathering. — Most varieties ripen in November and 

 December. The fruits are cut off with shears and as- 

 sorted into three grades. They are then packed in boxes 

 made of thin cryptomeria boards. The dimensions are 

 14 !4 inches long, 11 '2 inches broad and S Ji inches deep. 

 This size is universal. The lid is fastened on with 

 wooden pegs, and the whole box tied about with straw 

 rope. The fruit is not handled when wet. 



Storing. — Most varieties will, with reasonable precau- 

 tions, keep until April and get sweeter all the time. 

 Those that are not shipped immediately are stored in 

 baskets in some cheap thatched building erected for the 

 purpose in some sheltered place. Other methods are 

 sometimes resorted to. One is to wrap each fruit in a 

 thin piece of waxed paper ; another is to pack them in 

 large bamboo tubes, and bury these in the ground ; and 

 sometimes they are packed between thin layers of oak 

 leaves. 



DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



The following eleven varieties undoubtedly belong to 

 Citrics iiobilis : 



OoNSHiu-MiKAN. — This fruit deserves to be placed at 

 the head of the list, as it unquestionably is the best of 



all the Japanese varieties. The tree is of medium vigor, ' 

 and spreading. Leaf large, with considerable luster. 

 The fruit is medium to large, flattened, with sometimes 

 a slight depression at the apex. Color orange or reddish 

 orange ; rind very thin and separating easily, sometimes 

 with uneven surface, but smooth and with some luster ; 

 the more smooth and lustrous, the better the quality of 

 the fruit. Under the rind is a thin layer of somewhat 

 fibrous pith. The pulp divides with eleven or twelve 

 sections, which separate easily from each other ; each 

 section is enclosed in a thin but tough membrane, which 

 does not adhere to the flesh except on the outer or spher- 

 ical side. The sections do not meet in the axis of the 

 fruit, but leave an open space, or it is filled with pith. 

 The flesh is of a deep orange color, very juicy and very 

 sweet, pleasant when fully ripe, and totally seedless. It 

 all dissolves in the mouth, leaving little or no fibrous 

 residue. It is best in January and February, when it has ' 

 been stored for a couple of months. A good-sized fruit 

 weighs about one-quarter of a pound. 



The tree is remarkably hardy. It is grown in districts 

 where there are heavy snows every winter, and some 

 frost. The Japanese themselves consider it their best 

 orange. It has for some reason been dubbed ' ' Satsuma ' 

 in California — a name that is as misleading as it is im- 

 proper — it being not at all cultivated in the province of 

 Satsuma. The characters denoting it are pronounced 

 oonshiu (or unshiu, with short uj. "Satsuma" is un- 

 known as a name for this variety in Japan, and to avoid 

 confusion in ordering, as well as for the intrinsic merit 

 of the truth, the term should be dropped. 



KiNOKUNi-MiKAN (Syn. Maru iiiHiaji). — Tree of only 

 medium vigor, and leaves small. Fruit resembles the 

 Oonshiu, but averages smaller, rounded at the base, with 

 irregular surface ; apex flattened and often depressed. 

 Color reddish yellow, with some luster ; rind very thin, 

 and separates readily from the pulp. The latter has 

 eleven or twelve sections enclosed in thin, tough mem- 

 branes, which part easily from each other. Flesh or- 

 range yellow, juicy ; each section has one seed, and 

 occasionally none. Fruit open and pithy in the center. 



O-HiRA-MiKAN. — Fruit medium-sized, flattened, and in 

 appearance and character like the preceding variety, but 

 more acid in flavor, and has eleven to thirteen sections, 

 each containing one to three plump seeds ; base de- 

 pressed. 



Shen-shiu. — Fruit medium to small, flat ; base slightly 

 folded ; apex flat, or depressed and folded ; color yel- i 

 low, with some luster. Rind thin, smooth, easily sep- j 

 arated ; sections eleven to twelve, parting easily from 

 each other ; seeds few and very small ; center hollow ; 

 flesh sub-acid. 



Beni-roji. — Fruit medium, flattened, reddish yellow, 

 the stem set in a circle of little rounded elevations ; apex 

 depressed ; rind rather thick, and its surface somewhat 

 rough. Pith under the rind slightly bitter. Sections 

 eleven to twelve in number, easily parting from each 

 other, and owing to a large opening in the axis of the 

 fruit, they are crescent shaped. Seeds large, long and 



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