20 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Besides these, there are some societies similar to the above in their 

 chiracter, respectively called the "Fruit Society/" the "Dwarf Tree 

 Society," and u Ikebana Koi." In the last named, ? Ikebana ' is a term 

 ; i tj a sysrem by which flowers and plants are to be treated and 

 arranged in the flower vases. The " Ikebana " is one of the valuable 

 remnants of old Japan, and is regarded as a branch of aesthetical training 

 especially for women. Flowers and plants for decorative purposes in 

 Japanese rooms must almost necessarily be those which are treated and 

 arranged in accordance with the system of " Ikebana." There are several 

 schools concerned in carryiDg cut these methods and principles. These 

 different schcols often show in competition, which excites no small 

 interest among ladies and other interested persons. It is becoming the 

 fashion now even in a banquet, otherwise entirely in Western style, to 

 have the tables decorated with flowers and plants according to the rules 

 of " Ikebana." 



Now, upon entering the technical part of my lecture. I will begin 

 with the vegetables. As you doubtless already know, the " staff of life " 

 in Japan is rice, and consequently our cooking of the vegetables which 

 constitute the sub-food differs greatly from yours. Japan has cultivated 

 vegetables for a very long time, and has produced a great manv garden 

 varieties of them. In adiition to this, owing to our now eating more 

 animal food than we did before, many new vegetables of foreisrn origin 

 have been introduced. I will now deal with some of the principal ones. 



1. Vegetables. 



Bulbous and Tuberous-rooted Vegetables. 



Tamanegi (Allium cepa . — The onion is not a native of Japan, but 

 was imported from England, France, and America after the Reformation. 

 And now good onions are produced in Hokkaido and Kinai, and some 

 are being exported. They are now so commonly used that you will find 

 them in the ordinary grocers' shops in Tokyo. 



Jagaimo (Solanum tuberosum). — The potato had been more or less 

 used in the time of old Japan ; there are a few native varieties, but they 

 are not so good as the imported ones, and some of them are disappearing 

 as the result of natural selection. The potato is seldom eaten by Japanese, 

 and in Hokkaido a large proportion of the crop is consumed in making 

 alcohol. 



Fudanso (Beta vulgaris . — Beetroot is not of Japanese origin, and as 

 its taste does not seem to suit the people it is not much cultivated. 



Ninjin (Daucus carota . — The carrot has been widely cultivated and 

 used in Japan ; there are many native varieties. One species is so large 

 that the root measures two feet and a half in length and two inches in 

 diameter. 



Kabu (Brassica Rapa). — The turnip has been abundant throughout 

 the country from the earliest time, and there are many native varieties. 

 The majority of these are white-skinned, but one variety, produced in the 

 southern part of Japan, is purple. The largest kind is ; Shogoin Kabu ' 

 (Kyoto origin), the diameter of which is over one foot. It is sometimes 

 eaten boiled, but it is more frequently pickled. 



