JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 1916. 11 



41691 to 41 70S— Continued. 



41693. "No. 3. Ilon-gosho. Sweet. Nara Province." 



41694. " No. 4. Toyo-oka. Sweet. Nara Province." 



41695. "No. 5. Fijutcara-gosho. Sweet. Nara Province." 



41696. "No. 6. Chiomatsu. Astringent. Kanagawa Province." 



41697. " No. 7. Osoraku. Astringent. Chiba Province." 



41698. "No. S. Ibogaki. Astringent. Miyagi Province." 



41699. "No. 9. Benigaki. Astringent. Miyagi Province." 



41700. " No. 10. Hira-sanenashi. Astringent. Yamagata Province." 



41701. " No. 11. Sakushu-mishirazu. Astringent. Okayama Province." 



41702. " No. 12. Hlragaki. Astringent. Wakayama Province." 



41703. Sorbus domestica L. Malacese. Service tree. 

 (Pyrus sorbus Gaertn.) 



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

 Botanic Gardens. Received January 3, 1916. 



"A deciduous tree, usually 30 to 50 feet (occasionally 60 to 70 feet) high. 

 Native of south and east Europe. Flowers white, about one-half inch across, 

 produced in May in panicles at the end of short branches and from the leaf 

 axils, the whole forming a rounded or rather pyramidal cluster 2\ to 4 inches 

 wide. Fruit pear shaped or apple shaped, 1 to 11 inches long, green or brown 

 tinged with red on the sunny side. As an ornamental tree this is inferior to 

 its ally, the mountain ash, but is well worth growing for the beauty of its 

 foliage and for its flowers, which are larger than usual in this group. It 

 also attains to greater dimensions than any of its immediate allies. The 

 largest tree whose dimensions are recorded by Elwes is growing at Wood- 

 stock, Kilkenny, Ireland, which in 1904 was 77 feet high and 10 feet S Inches 

 in girth. The fruit of the service tree is sometimes eaten in a state of incipient 

 decay, especially in France. Mr. E. Burrell, late gardener to H. R. H. the 

 Duchess of Albany, at Claremont, in a letter dated November 11, 18S3, observes 

 that 'we are sending good fruits of the pear-shaped service for dessert at the 

 present time.' This Claremont tree was blown down in 1902, and was then 

 close upon 70 feet high. The timber is of fine quality, being very hard and 

 heavy, but too scarce to count for much." (W. J. Bean, Trees and Shrubs 

 Hardy in the British Isles, vol. 2, p. 29').) 



For an illustration of the service tree, see Plate I. 



41704. Prunus hortulana Bailey. Amygdalacese. 



From Courtney, Mo. Presented by .Mr. I'.. F. Bush. Received January 4. 

 1916. 

 "The species was first distinguished in 1892 to designate varieties of plums 

 intermediate between Prunus americana and /'. angustifolia (the two species at 

 that time dearly separated) ; these intermediate varieties were then said to 

 'represent at least two other species, and perhaps even more.' one of which it 

 was proposed to separate as P. hortulana. Later students have separated P. 

 munsoniana from these varieties and have redefined other species. Subsequently 

 it was supposed that P. hortulana represents a range of hybrids between P. 

 americana and P. angustifolia, and it is not yet known what part hybridization 

 has played in the origin of these forms, although the evidence accumulates that 

 separate specific types are involved." (Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horti- 

 culture, vol. 5, p. 2828.) 



