22S 
FLOi^A AND SYLVA 
For winter-gardens, orangeries, and the larger 
glass-houses of this country there are few finer 
evergreens, the large leathery leaves often 
nearly a foot in length, hanging thickly to- 
wards the tips of the shoots, a fine dark green 
above and deeply toothed in the upper part, 
while the under-side is covered with a rust- 
coloured down which is white when first seen 
upon the tender shoots. The yellowish-white 
flowers are large, coming in down-covered 
drooping clusters from November to January, 
with a scent of Hawthorn. The plants are 
easily grown in tubs — small as compared with 
the size of the tree — and after making growth 
in early summer they may be stood in the 
open, their natural form being a standard with 
the broad rounded head so much sought in 
"specimens" for the terrace or formal garden. 
They are quite safe in the open until well 
into October and the trees are better for the 
rest, starting to liower almost as soon as they 
are back under glass and ripening their fruit 
thence onward when helped by a little heat. 
They may also be grown planted out against 
walls and trimmed to any shape, bearing the 
knife so well that they are used as hedge-plants 
in the warmer parts of the globe, for their 
dense leaf and indifference to drought and ill- 
usage. More vigorous and ornamental than 
the Orange, the Loquat is far less subject to 
insect pests and loss of leaf, while it is so hardy 
as to rest content with even a glass-covered 
corridor in mild districts, when nothing better 
is available. Seed germinates so readily that 
the trees sow themselves in the south of Europe, 
but these young plants should either be care- 
fully selected or grafted with a good named 
kind early in the autumn. For English growers 
the best way is to get young plants of a good 
sort from the south of Europe. 
Good Kinds. — The best kind grown in the 
gardens of Nice is known as the Moscate/, with 
large pale-yellow fruits of musk flavour, with 
only one or two small seeds in the centre. The 
longest list of varieties — which we find in the 
Lyon horticole — comes from Algiers, where 
for years past much care has been given to the 
Loquat, and the following eight kinds are 
recommended : — Telemly precoce, large long- 
shaped fruits of deep yellow colour and ex- 
quisitely scented flavour. Brunei, a large fruit 
more rounded than the last, with a downy 
skin and pale yellow flesh of fine flavour. Gelos, 
a large fruit of pale colour, very free, juicy, 
and of fine appearance. Don Carlos, a large 
fruit of fine flavour. Imbert, an oval fruit with 
a very thin skin and sweet juicy pulp. Scala, 
a rounded fruit of pale colour. St. Michel, a 
long fruit of distinct pear-shape, with a thin 
I skin of pale yellow colour and flesh almost 
; white ; seeds few and very small. Dauphin, 
I also pear-shaped, with firm juicy flesh, fine 
acid flavour, and few seeds. 
I Still further variety is found in the selected 
i fruits of Italy and Sicily, descriptions of which 
are given by Sprenger in the Bulletin de la 
SocieteToscane d' horticulture as follows : — 'Pesca 
i^/'P^z/frwo, long-shaped fruits with sweet pale- 
yellow flesh of delicate flavour and a thin skin, 
borne upon a tree of stout growth with ample 
undulated leaves. Limoncella, in which the 
! fruits are lemon-shaped, very large, and the 
I thin skin a pale shade of sulphur-yellow ; pulp 
j abundant, nearly white in colour, with a core 
I of three small seeds ; the tree attains a large 
: size and is somewhat irregular in growth, flow- 
J ering in December and ripening its fruits in 
i April and May. Conca d'oro, with smaller 
' fruits but in heavy clusters, very sweet and 
j of bright golden colour, with pale yellow 
pulp and 2 or 3 seeds ; the tree is small and 
I shapely, flowering in November and ripening 
j its fruits early, these being remarkable for 
i their Strawberry-fragrance. Monreala, a fruit 
i of medium size and evenly rounded, deep 
i yellow in colour, bronzing in the sun ; pulp 
I of deliciousflavourand very small seeds. These 
I fruits are known as Vanille at Palermo from 
their delicate fragrance. The Nejie a un pepin 
is a late kind ripening in May upon a tree of 
I good form ; the fruits of medium size and 
i fine flavour, with only one seed and sometimes 
I none at all. Santa Rosalia, the latest kind, 
ripening its medium-sized golden fruits in 
June ; the seeds are small and the pulp sweet 
and very juicy. 
The botanical name of the Loquat is vari- 
ously given as Eriobotrya or 'Photinia japonica, 
or Mespilus japonicus. The first refers to the 
woolly clusters of fruit and flowers, while that 
of Mespilus recalls its kinship to the Medlar — 
also seen in the name Japanese Medlar. B. 
