Morris tribune., 1885-04-08
The Fruit of the Li-Chi Tree.

Its history dates from 140 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. G. was
sent as tribute from Anam to the En-
peror Kao-tsu at frightful cost of hu-
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 load of Ii
chi, and in this forced travel the major
ity of them broke down through SUM-
stroke by day and the attacks of SER
pents and wild beasts by night. In the
middle OF the eighth century the Prin-
cess Wang, whose appetite for i-chi
was unappeasable, established a pony
express, and although this also was car
ried out at great sacrifice of horse
flesh, the end justified the means, as,
smitten by her great beauty the En-
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 i-chi, for although the
medical men of the time considered
them as heating, persons have been
known to eat thousand day. The
poet Su Tung-po, who was in exile at
Canton, allowed himself the moderate
quantity of 800 per diem, and wrote
poem in their favor, declaring that they
were delicious enough to reconcile a
man to eternal banishment; moreover,
it is stated in the "Genii Records that
there were individuals who, from hav-
ing obtained Immortality by using its
flowers and fruits, are called i-chi genii.
Kohung, great authority among the
Taoist philosophers, praised it unceas-
ingly as marrow tonic" but, not
withstanding his constant use of it, he
died at 81 under some uncertainty as to
whether he had become a li-chi genus
or not.
Perhaps some of these attributes may
be accounted for by the fact that the
li-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.
It 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
tance 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 q |
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 uncr1t - North China Herald