Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-18
CHINESE GARDENER
RAISES FUNNY 1000"
oRINETAL DAINTIES GROW IN
HIS BACKYARD
Chop Suey junk Dear to Pigtail Pal
ates Have Names That Make
Them Sound Good to
Eat

Did YOU know that hon toy, gui lung
and lot ju were being raised on Western
avenue?
No, they are not new brands OF trouble;
they're vegetables. They're Chinese and
many delicacies dear to the hearts and
palates of the celestials are there cared
for by Quong Now and his American
wife.
The place covers about two acres and
every corner is ablaze with bright flow
ers. the blossoms being sandwiched in
between rows of hon toy, gui lung lot Ju
and other vegetables of curious name and
appearance.
A high wire fence shuts the world out
from the picturesque spot and when one
enters through the tall gate he walks
I'D a walk sbordered on either side by
great masses of yellow lilies. The low
rooted cottage sits far back from the
street and before reaching it's door one
passes beneath a grape arbor, where
Quong has a hammock and several
| chairs. The front yard is filled with
| queer herbs, which the Chinese use for
| medicinal purposes, and on every side are
| flowers About rookery are many can
mas and vines are growing everywhere.
Although there are a few smaller beds
of vegetables in front of the house, In
Guiding a patch of American corn, the
real farm is at the rear where, safe from
Now can dig in the soil as much as he
plea ses.
Farmer Aristocrat
In China the farmers are the aristo-
Gratis of the land, so that Quong Now,
far from regretting his change of occu-
patton, feels very much elevated in his
position.
Last week Quong took great pleasure
in showing visitor about his place, and
he explained the uses of the different
vegetables with great care. The word
toy in Chinese means greens of any
kind, and, in fact, has much the same
meaning as our word vegetable.
A considerable space near the house Is
taken up with gui toy, which has yell
low blossom and a leaf about the color
of the cabbage. The plant is used to fry
with meat and also ASA kind of garnish.
One large bed is filled with gui lung,
which is practically the same as our
spinach.
Warlk toy is a green which is used ear
lier in the spring, but which is now being
allowed to grow to the height of three
or four feet for the seed which will soon
ripen The blossom is white and the
leaves are of a peculiar shade of green
and have a distinct taste of mustard.
Quong pointed with pride in his eye to
a row of squash vines which were trained
after the manner of pea vines, upon
bushes stuck into the ground. The fruit
has just begun to form and Quong says
that before frost comes there will be an
abundance of squashes about the size of
oranges.
That fruit, lot ju, which the Chinese
cooks seem to use in nearly all their
dishes, is we'll represented among the
products of the truck farm. In spite of
its somewhat formidable name, lot jul is
nothing but an ordinary green pepper.
In the Chinese restaurants 1t is boiled,
baked, broiled and fried, usually the lat
ter and no meal Is complete without it,
served in several forms. Several strange
looking shrubs, bearing spikes of red
flowers, are being raised for their seeds,
and numerous beds of choong taw, or
onions, are to be seen.
While Quong takes great delight and
pride in his farming, he has a flock of
over 100 hens of all shapes and sizes and
also sixty ducks. Looking meditatively
to a newspaper man: Write bout beau
tiful flowers and fine living I make, but
nothing bout chicks"
Now the flock of chickens was one
which would make the heart of any
householder beat with pride, and so
Ouong's disinclination to have mention
made of it brought forth many questions
which resulted in the information that he
was member of Congregational church
and that he was afraid the minister
wouldn't like 1t II 1t were made public
that he kept chickens, which had to be
fed on Sunday.
The chickens seem to be burden on
Quong's mind, and yet are a source of
pride and income as well, for many fat
'gaf' goes to appease the appetite of
Quong's fellow countrymen.