New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-10
HORTICCLTURE IN JAPAN
INTERESTING LETTER FROM OUR Coys,,
AT SIMODA.
USIrED STATES CONSULAR Grsrs,l.

UNITED SrAIEs CONSULAR GEyfR, \
AT SIsoDA, Japan.
SIR: A letter from your Department ds.si JAW I,
1850 aud addressed 10 this Consulate was DO, r,,.i
until the 20th of October, 1857. have not Ax !,
opportunity of communicating with sby part d n.
world since the receipt of that ett-r, and j, an.
uncertain when shall De able TO dps,ch the pres.
letter.
The statements in the " World in Miniature. NC.
c. ming the Japan Radish, are much ex,gssrasd. 4
is true that rajisbes are grown in every part o Jar
but 10 where they principal article Of t-oi; by
are merely an adjunct 10 the nee, wneat sud bsiy,
which are the great staples Of the country
| ordered the best specimens oftbe long rsts a
be brought To me when first Wis ted iedio tas s,.
est were less than thirty inches iu er 9Th, and s
one inch in diameter; this radise when dred, NJ
more than ihree-fourths of its bulk, and hot NY
ike a whip-thorg. With the long radish specs,
Of another kind wire broaght to me. Thes srs
shaped ike our parsnip. The largest mea'e' )
inches long, ID inches IN circumference, and Ergs
lbs or. ayoiriupols.
All of the radi~fes Of Japsn, when usd naHA,
are infericr 20 the garden rad 10 OF the We't ~
tough. and not of an sgr-eablr favor. "hes ~s,
they quite insipid. hNying nothing"i 'he ns'dS
the white turnip or ru.a bags.
stall embrace the irst opportunity OF sentHni
reeds Of both the foregoing varieties, on hssrs'
doubts about these reaching you IN good oondta .
carrot get the metal Ia which ~ ssa iSn Ay
me,icay nor can Wardisn case, be procured Ads n
there il rot pane of lass IN the whole smP'~. >,
Very little attention is psd to the cultisal'a& hn'
in this country; the cherry and plun tree Pess
magnificent blossoms but they bear very VIZ h,',
ana that little r worthless. Peaches are far lises
to those of China being quite bitter, aud the sS :
mark will apply TO the apricot.
have seen only one variety of pears; thsyw
all SHAPES and colors and are quite like russe NJ
but they are unit To eat raw, and when coDkso
quite irsipid. The best grapes o japan rs.emo<l -
! Cntawba in appearance, bat are ilierior 70 'as
! I.'y. "
! The OILY fruit that I hsve seen in Japan thar
ticulsry merits notice IL the kali variety d ~
! pyros. ana belonging to the order ot Eselacs ~
! really worthy of being introduced mto The lS'.
4 States. Quite number Of sorts have been nea,
| 10 me; one has a skin as thu as tlssue psps' "
| the pulp resembles the Egyptian az 10 nsvof Ase''
/ variety las a thick rind and a frmer pulp hs -
sort fret mentioned, while tie taste strongly saA,
me of the flavor Of the delicious mango oi ssi :,
! Bombay. TIE tree is very ornamental, ana q ~,
growth. 1t would, no doubt, suoooed IN any ~ ~ =
the United States so1th Of 81 lattuf'. tHs~,
persimmon of the United S'ates, there ts vs! ~
sstringency in the sk in Of tho fruit, and frost -
natures the pers;mmon, gre,tly iuiu es the kss -
fruit varies in size, but /, awayslager th.n ~.
lean relative, and some are seven incoes 10 dAs,',
Tie fruit 10 in ss8son nearly thres morlAa
japanese dry this fruit, which enables then W ~
II for some foor hsonths. When dried resem"1
the dried smyrna 6g ia taste. a4.
seId yon few seeds Of the kali nnfer lns o.
ering, thin king that they may possibly gsrnas)
after they reach Washington, aud knowias aaN
will only cause d triniDg addition ~ the PoSAe
my letter. am, very respectfully
Your obediD Dt s@rvant,
TOWNSEND HARRIS Consular 0s~
To the Commissioner Of the Pssept Othcs. wsshins~