MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 121 
that she found forests of wild maidenhair trees. /Wilson in 
his “A Naturalist in Western China” attributes‘the preserva- 
tion of the ginkgo to the care of the priests: He says “The 
world at large does not realize how deeply it is indebted 
to religious communities for the betel smi: of many trees. 
In Europe, for example, most of the best varieties of pears 
originated in the gardens attached to religious establish- 
ments in France and Belgium and were introduced into 
England and other countries after the battle of Waterloo. 
In China, where every available bit of land is devoted’ to 
agriculture, quite a number of trees must long ago have 
become extinct but for the timely intervention of the Budd- 
hist and Taouist priests. The most noteworthy example 
of this benevolent preservation is the maidenhair. tree 
(Ginkgo biloba). This strikingly beautiful tree is asso- 
ciated with temples and shrines, court gardens of palaces, 
and mansions of the wealthy throughout the length and 
breadth of China, and also in parts of Japan. But it is 
nowhere truly wild and is a relic of a very ancient flora.” 
From the Orient the ginkgo has again been distributed 
by cultivation until it is found over almost as wide an area 
as in Mesozoic times. It probably was brought to this 
- country early in the last century, but no authentic account 
of its introduction can be found. The first tree which 
flowered in Europe appears to have been a male plant at 
Kew, which bore flowers in 1795. In France the ginkgo is 
commonly called Varbe aux quarante écus, or “forty crowns 
tree,” for the following reason, which is quoted from 
Loudon’s interesting account: 
“In 1870 a Parisian amateur named Pétigny made a 
_ voyage to London in order to see the ee a | ens; 
and among the number of those he visited was that of a 
commercial gardener who possessed five young plants of 
Ginkgo biloba, which was still rare in England and which 
the gardener pretended that he alone possessed. These five 
lants were raised from nuts that he had received from 
apan, and he set a high price on them. However, after 
an abundant dejeuner and plenty of wine he sold to M. 
Pétigny these young trees of ginkgo, all growing in the.same 
pot, for 25 guineas, which the Parisian amateur paid im- 
mediately and then lost no time in taking away his valuable 
acquisition. Next morning, the effects of the wine being 
dissipated, the English gardener sought out his customer 
and offered him oe guineas for one plant of the five he had 
sold the day before. | 
“This, however, was refused by M. Pétigny, who carried 
