34 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



region, which will no doubt prove perfectly hardy : among 

 such are the JMantchurian linden, several maples, oaks, and 

 magnolias, an ash, and two spruces. It should not be for- 

 gotten that from Southern Japan and China many species not 

 hardy at the north may be introduced to our South-Atlantic 

 coast, where the Paulonia imperialism a tree valuable both 

 ornamentally and on account of its excellent timber, already 

 flourishes, even resisting the winter as far north as Provi- 

 dence, R.I. 



The Chinese and Japanese have cultivated flowers and 

 trees longer than any other people : they are, particularly 

 tlie Japanese, ardent lovers of nature, and possessed of strong 

 sesthetic tastes. It is not surprising, therefore, that their 

 gardens are filled with rare and beautiful specimens of 

 plants, and that all varieties that are interesting should 

 have been carefully preserved. From these gardens we have 

 already received many fine plants, especially the numerous 

 dwarfed evergreens and the varieties of the beautiful Japan 

 maples. Although Eastern Asia is the only region from 

 which any extensive additions to our forest flora may be 

 expected, yet there are other regions, of restricted limits, 

 where we may still find many species for cultivation in New 

 England. 



From the region of the Caucasus we obtain two of the 

 best spruces (^Abies Nordmaniana and JPicea orientalist, and 

 the beautiful and perfectly hardy Pteroearya fraxincefolia, a 

 curious Old-World ally of our New-England hickories. 



Success may be expected with plants from Turkestan, and 

 it is possible that certain local influences may, in other parts 

 of the world, produce, in limited regions, a climate not unlike 

 our own, whence we may obtain a few additions to our col- 

 lections. Such a region may possibly be found among the 

 Himalayas or Thibet. 



It has but recently been discovered that the horse-chestnut 

 is a native of the Balkan Mountains, it having been intro- 

 duced into Europe, by the way of Constantinople, in 1615, 

 whence it came to America. As might be expected, the tree 

 flourishes here fairly, doing better in cooler situations, near 

 the water, than when it is exposed to the hot sun and 

 droughts of the interior towns, where the foliage often be- 

 comes brown and disfigured. 



