Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-22
The Fruit of the Li-Chi Tree.

It's history dates from 40 B. c.,
when the Emperor Watt endeavored to
introduce it from anam, its native hab-
itat, into his garden at Chang-an. Hun
dreds of plants were brought to China
for many successive years, but they all
failed TO acclimatize, and it was found
useless to make any further efforts.
This, fact, however, only increased the
value of li-chi, which in 200 B. c. was
sent as tribute from Anam to the EN-
peror Kao-tsu at frightful cost of hui
man life.
As the fruit only keeps fresh for ten
days at the most, and it was necessary
that it reached Chang-an in good con-
ditiOn, relays of men were required to
run at full speed, bearing a load of IL
chi, and in this forced travel the major
ity of them broke down through sun
stroke by day and the attacks of SER
penis and wild beasts by night In the
middle of the eighth century the Prin-
cess Wang, whose appetite for li-chi
was unappeasable, established a pony
express, and although this also was car
ried out at q great sacrifice of horse
flesh, the end justified the means, as,
perOr Hsuan Tsung made her chief lady
OF his harem, notwithstanding that she
was already his sons wife. This little
family difficulty was soon arranged,
and an exchange was made of another
beauty out of the seraglio, with whom
the son was quite satisfied.
The Princess Wang was not peculiar
in her liking for G-chi, for although the
medical men Of the time considered
them as heating, persons have been
known to eat a thousand a day. The
poet Su Tung-po, who was in exile at
Canton, allowed himself the moderate
quantity of 800 per diem, and wrote a
poem in their favor, declaring that they
were delicious enough to reconcile a
man to eternal Punishment; moreover,
it is stated in the ''Genm Records" that
there were individuals who, from hay
ing obtained Immortality by using its
flowers and fruits, are called li-chi genii.
Kohung, a great authority among the
Taoist philosophers, praised it unceas-
ingly as marrow tonic,n but, not
Withstanding his constant use of it, he
died at 81 under some uncertainty as to
whether he had become li-chi genus
or not.
Perhaps some Of these attributes may
be accounted for by the fact that the
i-chi tree does not come to maturity
until it is so years old, but, once begun,
it will continue to bear fruit for 500
years, while its timber keeps sufficiently
sound for use for nearly 1000 years.
With such virtues, one ought scarcely
to speak of its minor good qualities,
which are of value in fastening small
pox pustules, and as tropical applica-
ton for boils, swellings and toothache.
1t is singular in its habits of growth,
being found in China growing on the
hills in Kwangsi and in the plains in
Kwang-tung, but in all cases at dis
lance from water. For the first five
years it requires to be protected from
cold, being remarkably sensitive to
frost and electricity, which is very
prejudicial to it, so much so that
thunderstorm will cause the flowers
and fruit to be small. 1t is singular
that when the fruit is cut it should at
once be taken from the tree, otherwise
the birds and bats will make a clean
sweep of it, although they will not
touch it as long as it remains upon the
tree uncut.-NOrtb China Herald.