The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-03-08
Orange Growing in Japan.

OF the many varieties of oranges in
japan, the best are Oonshiu, Hira
Mikan, Koli and Kinkan, the two former
growing on billy and broken land and
are located half q mile to three miles
back from the coast, doing best at an ell
ovation Of 500 to 1000 feet above the
sea. They are usually planted IN sandy
loan, with gravel subsOil. There are no
orchards in the sense that we have them
in California, that is i'll solid bodies OF
tensacres and upwards, but are scattered
in small holdings Of from a few trees to
several hundred, planted with regularity
and many on terraces. There is no Gull
tivatiOn. as many Of the trees branch
close to the ground, and in many cases
rest there. When any space is exposed
to the sun vegetables and gram are
planted.
Irrigation and fertilization are one OPP
GRAFTON performed by the application OF
LIQUID manure distributed with pals by
hand. The OOnshiu is the best variety;
it is a budded tree, ten or twelve feet Ia
height and is trimmed so as to branch
out close to the ground, covering q
space often OF 70 feet in circumference.
They are extremely prolific, OF aFmedium
size and OF the nature Of the mandarin,
both as to flavor and skin. They are
very Juicy and practically scedless; when
they are ripe they are very sweet, but as
they are picked by Japanese when green
in October and November, and kept IN
stOrehOuses or q month or more before
being marketed, they do not always have
their full sweetness. The reason for the
premature picking is not apparent, I'M
less it be to avoid the effect OF frost. The
japanese in the orange district claim their
minimum temperature to be 360 Faren-
heit, but this is doubtful. The stock in
every case is the sour or native wild
orange. We find that growing to height
Of 30 feet, and in exposed places where
there are severe frOsts the fruit is round
full of seeds, medium size, skin and pulp
bitter. The seed beds are planted from
this fruit and nursery stocks are made,
grating and budding. 1t is well under
stood in Japan that trees raised from
this stock are the most desirable. There
is no scale on the trees that we have
seen and the cleanliness and smooth skin
of the fruit in market would Indicate
freedom from pests generally.
Low trees are preferred in Japan on
account of being able to pick the fruit
without ladders and the branches keep
the ground cool and moist; frequent
rains render irrigation unnecessary. The
Oonshiu fruit sells in the markets from
three to seven silver dollars per l 900 az
cording to size and quality. They are
packed in stout wicker baskets and are
mostly all used in Japan, though some
have been sent to San Francisco and
Shanghai.
The Kinkan is prolific variety pro-
ducing two kinds of fruit, round and OBJ
long. 1t has seeds, and is often eaten
rind and al, but is chiefly used as pre-
serve and crystalized The Japanese
have been very successful both in the
dwarfing of trees and fruit. h ave seen
trees eighteen inches high with full crop
of mature oranges smaller than walnuts.
Much fruit of this size is for sale in
markets and popular with the poorer
classes. With the cheap labor, compar-
atively low prices of land and ever-ln-
creasing steam transportation facilities
Japan is likely to increase its exporta-
ton Of oranges to America and BRUSH
Columbia to a considerable extent.
There are no lemons worthy of the name
raised in this country. The few good
ones that are made use of by Europeans
and on board steamships are brought
from Sicily.
In China large quantities of the Tan
gerine and Mandarin varieties are ex
ported to Saigon, Singapore, Sumatra
and Ceylon, these countries all being
too tropical for successful orange grow
ing. Some of the Chinese fruit, seed
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