APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1915. 55 



40612. Saccharum officinarum L. Poacese. Sugar cane. 



From Honolulu, Hawaii. Presented by the director, Experiment Station, 

 Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association. Cuttings received May 1, 1915. 

 Demerara 1135. 



40613. Daphne blagayana Freyer. Thymeleacese. 



From Chester, England. Purchased from Dicksons Seed Growers, seed 

 merchants and nurserymen. Plants received May 6, 1915. 



"Native of the mountains of eastern Europe, discovered by Count Blagay 

 in 1837; introduced about 1S75. This beautiful and sweet-scented Daphne has 

 perhaps nowhere been so successfully cultivated as in the Glasnevin Botanic 

 Gardens. It is there planted on low mounds composed of stones and loam 

 from a granite district. The secret of success appears to be in the continuous 

 layering of the shoots. As soon as the young growths are an inch or so long the 

 previous summer's branches are weighed down to the ground by placing stones 

 on them. A little soil may come between. By this system the whole plant 

 is always renewing its root system at the younger parts. At Glasnevin I have 

 seen a patch S feet across in the rudest health. This system is, no doubt, 

 helped by the moist, equable climate of Dublin. As this shrub is found on 

 calcareous rock, stones of the same character would appear to be preferable 

 for layering, but Sir F. Moore tells me he does not consider this Daphne needs 

 lime. He recommends good loam or peat and leaf soil aud partial shade." 

 (11". J. Bean, Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, vol. 1, pp. / f 67-468.) 



40614. Sorbus domestica L. Malacege. 

 (Pyru-s sorbus Gaertn.) 



From Kew. England. Presented by Sir David Prain, director, Royal 

 Botanic Garden. Cuttings received May 6, 1915. 



See S. P. I. Nos. 10349 and 27184 for previous introductions and description. 



40615 and 40616. 



From Yachowfu, West China. Presented by Dr. E. T. Shields. Medical 

 Missionary of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. I Mai us 

 received May 12, 1915. 



40615. (Undetermined.) Mountain oak. 



40616. Phoebe nanmu (Oliver) Gamble. Lauraceee. 



(Machilns nanmu Hemsl.) Lanmu, or nanmu. 



"In western Hupeh and Szechwan the name Nanmu shu is applied to 

 this and other species of Phoebe and to the genera .Machilns ami 

 Actinodaphne. These trees are the source of 'nanmu,' one of the most 

 valuable of all Chinese timbers. All the species are evergreen and 

 singularly handsome trees. In Szechwan they are abundant up to an 



altitude of 1.000 meters, often forming extensive w Is. They are 



largely planted around homesteads and temples and are a prominent 

 feature of the scenery of parts of the Chengtu Plain and of the region 

 round the base of Mount Omei. Those trees grow to a great size and 

 have clean straight trunks and wide, umbrageous heads. The wood is 

 close grained, fragrant, greenish white and In-own in color, easily 

 worked, and very durable. It is highly esteemed in furniture making 

 and for pillars and beams in the temples and in the houses of the wealthy. 



