Amongst fruits, the plums are good, but inferior to what we have in England; the peaches are curiously formed, but worthless. What may be more properly called Chinese fruits, such as leechees, longans, and wangpees, are, however, excellent, the climate suiting them admirably. When I was here (in July), the leechee trees were covered with their fine red fruit, and were very beautiful, the fruit contrasted so well with the deep clear green foliage. Large quantities of oranges, citrons, and pumeloes are also found in the district of the Min; but none of them were ripe at this season. I saw, for the first time, the tree commonly called the Chinese olive (_Canarium_), from the resemblance its fruit bears to the olive of Europe; also the Chinese date (_Zizyphus_), which produces a fruit not unlike the date imported into England.
In the fields in the vicinity of Foo-chow-foo, large quantities of the sweet-scented _Jasminum Sambac_ are cultivated. It is used to decorate the hair of the ladies, and to garnish the tables of the wealthy. I believe that all the gardens, both in the north and south, are supplied with this favourite flower from the province of Fokien. Various other shrubs, such as _Murraya exotica, Aglaia odorata,_ and _Chloranthus inconspicuus_, are grown for their blossoms, which are used for mixing with the tea.
The temperature of Foo-chow-foo appears to be intermediate between that of Hong-kong in the south, and Shanghae in the north. In June, and in the beginning of July, the thermometer ranged from 85° to 95° Fahr., and about the middle of the latter month it rose to 100°, which I believe it seldom exceeds. The following table was kept by the late Mr. G. Tradescant Lay:--
+-------------------+------+------+ | | | | | 1844. | Max. | Min. | | | | | +-------------------+------+------+ | | ° | ° | | August . . . . . | 96 | 82 | | September . . . | 90 | 82 | | October . . . . | 86 | 71 | | November . . . . | 78 | 65 | | December . . . . | 75 | 44 | | | | | | 1845. | | | | | | | | January . . . . | 72 | 44 | | | | | +-------------------+------+------+
The weather is generally unsettled and wet about the time the summer monsoon changes, that is, from April to June, and the district is visited by heavy thunder-storms in July and part of August. Towards the end of August, in September, and in the beginning of October, it is generally very dry. The monsoon now changes again to the north-east, and the weather becomes variable and continues so during the winter months.