1040 
vidually differ why not do as in sugar beets and in 
sugarcane and collect seeds and sow them out, testing 
each individual plant by itself! Perhaps some better 
types will be envolved than we possess now! In the 
American Consulate I saw a report on peppermint from 
the hand of Consul Hunter Sharp, addressed to the 
Asst. Secretary of. State, dated Kobe, Japan, Nov. 
23, 1906. Dr. Stockberger might be interested in ob- 
taining a copy of it, if he has not got it already. 
Mr. Frank N. Meyer writes from Yokohama, Japan, 
October 20, 1916, as follows: Among my notes I found 
a short scribble from you in blue pencil: Meyer to 
investigate Momme pickle industry of Japan. Yesterday 
afternoon I asked Mr. Watase about this and he gave 
me the following description: pick fruits when full 
grown but before they are quite ripe; they must be 
still hard; soak in a tub with water for 24 hours; 
drain off water, take salt and mix 1/3 salt to 2/3 
fruits in quantity, mixed that way let them stand for 
a period from 5-7 days. Should the weather be cool 7 
days will make them right; should it be warm 5 days 
is enough. Leaves of the red-leaved variety of Perilla 
nankinemis should be mixed among them. After this salt* 
ing process the fruits are taken out and spread out 
in the sun -to dry-, then the juice of the salted red 
perilla-beans is sprinkled over them by squeezing a 
hand full of them and the fruits turned over. Every 
day this process is repeated and after 3 to 5 days 
they are put up In vessels in -moderately weak brine, 
perilla leaves mixed among them and in this way the 
product can be kept almost indefinitely. Mr. Watase 
was shown fruits said to be 100 years old. Mr. Watase 
and I when we were talking about l-t both got the water 
freely flowing in our mouths. 'Yes,' Mr. Watase said, 
'our famous deceased General Nogi used to say to his 
soldiers on a hot day in the Manchurian campaign, 
when there was ho water in sight , "Boys, how would you 
like to have now some nice pickled mumes?"- and nobody 
after that complained about thirst. ' I hope this recipe 
may be of use to you. By the way, if you go to the 
Nanking restaurant on 9th St., you can get there some 
very fine preserved mume fruits; they are called 
'Ching mae ' and are a high class delicacy in old 
Cathay. " 
