6o8 



NEW YORK CHINESE GARDENING. 



pation, which in China is considered, next to letters, the 

 most honorable of all, may also be followed on newer 

 soil with consciousness of accorded rank. 



As in Chinese native gardening, peas and beans form 

 important articles of culture in these Long Island far 

 Muen. The doe goe, or string bean, grows to a length of 

 two feet, which is half the measurement attained by the 

 species in China. Its vine is trained like those of Ameri- 

 can varieties on convenient forms of support. This 

 Chinese bean ripens perfectly in its new location. Its 

 seed is of a brown color, and of hardly larger size than 

 a plumply rounded grain of rice. The sugar pea, known 

 as ho Ian doe, grows well and has fine, green, edible pods, 

 exceedingly sweet in taste. Like the variety of its 

 species familiar in this country, it is cooked with the 

 shell. 



An equally important series, considered in the nature 

 of food, includes different species of the family Cruci- 

 ferse. In China the wild as well as the cultivated forms 

 are eaten. The production specified as cabbage by the 

 Astoria kttng, or gardeners, grows with loose leaves 

 instead of compact heads. Another variety is the cab- 

 bage sprout, with the general characteristics of the Euro- 

 pean plant of that name. The gtton guai, called in 

 English mustard green, is apparently an indispensable 

 element in Chinese living. Large quantities of it are 

 imported in a pickled state. It is tied up in three-ounce 

 parcels, packed in stone jars, and is constantly kept in 

 the Chinese groceries. Its use is very extensive in all 

 forms of soups and stews. Large quantities of it are 

 grown in China. 



Other forms of Chinese green vegetables on Long 

 Island include one in the nature of the lily. This 

 grows in the water, and has a hollow stalk like the bam- 

 boo ; it is known as ('7i'« choy. Another variety, called 

 bie choy — the white green — shows a green top with a 

 white stalk. A different green is yen choy — by which is 

 meant lamb's quarter. The fo7ig choy, growing about a 

 foot high, is believed to correspond to no variety in this 

 country. Another of the series is the htig jia boe, or 

 snow-flake green. 



The Chinese spinach — hoe choy — is one of the varieties 

 growing to a larger size in the Long Island gardens than 

 the corresponding American species. Its crisp, clear- 

 white stem is about the size of the average celery stalk, 

 and is very tender and succulent when grown in heavily 

 enriched soil. The high-flavored parsley under the 

 name of yiien si has a fine growth. The lettuce, shaug 

 choy, and the celery, hoii koii, are also cultivated. 



The Chinese turnip, of a long form, is smaller here 

 than in China, where it sometimes weighs fifteen pounds. 

 It is a pure snow-white variety, tender and sweet. The 

 shape of the fon giia or pumpkin, is that of an Indian 

 club. The gourd called foo low goe is a variety easily 

 identified, as it varies but little from our familiar forms. 

 One kind of pepper, grown rather as a medicinal plant 

 than for culinary use, bears a small, cone-shaped pod 

 which is highly pungent. Two kinds of citrons are cul- 



I 



Id 



tivated and have different uses. The dongqua, or north 

 fruit, has a furry appearance, and is chiefly used in 

 making soup. With the other, zit qua, the Chinese 

 cooks make sweetmeats which are greatly relished. 



The foo qua yields abundantly and forms an import- 

 ant article of consumption. It is one of the balsam 

 pear varieties, belonging, like the East Indian balsam 

 apple, to a species of momordica. The far kung some- 

 times fail to distinguish it by Angli- 

 cized name from the cucumber, 

 loougqua, or in other cases from the 

 egg-plant. It forms trailing vines 

 which thickly cover the ground. 

 Its small, yellow flowers gleam 

 among the ornamental foliage until 

 late in autumn. The fruit is not 

 unlike the cucumber in its general 

 form, but the outer covering is 

 marked by raised divisions which 

 resemble blisters. This product is 

 bought at prices ranging from 

 thirty to seventy-five cents per 

 pound in the Mott street market. 

 It is fried with chicken for Mongo- 

 lian epicures, is chopped with 

 pork, or with fish, and is an ingre- 

 dient of many mysterious combi- 

 nations. It is said to increase the 

 appetite and aid digestion. It is 

 used in medicine, and for this pur- 

 pose is sliced, and dried in the sun- 

 light at the gardens. 



The sing qua, Luffa acutangula, 

 is known in this horticultural 

 group. Its rampant vine covers 

 poles or trellises, and its luxuriant 

 mass of foliage is dotted by a multi- 

 tude of yellow flowers. The fruit 

 is produced in great abundance, 

 being gathered for marketing into 

 deep baskets. It has a sweetish 

 taste, and is used for soup. Its 

 form closely resembles that of the 

 long-necked gourd, but is marked 

 by ten sharp exterior ridges in the 

 direction of its length. Its inner 

 portion is spongy, and when dry 

 it can be used as a sponge. From 

 this peculiarity the names of 

 sponge cucumber, Egyptian bath 

 sponge, dishcloth gourd, towel 

 gourd and bonnet gourd have also 

 been given it. When very young 

 the fruit is eaten like cucumbers, 

 uncooked, or it may be prepared 

 by cooking like squash. The Chi- 

 nese believe its effect as food to be 

 similar to that of foo qua, and it is said to be most 

 beneficial when too much greasy food has been eaten. 



