BOTANICAL STUDIES IN ASIA — HITCHCOCK. 375 



mountain as viewed from a distance, its nearly perfect cone dominat- 

 ing the view like our Shasta and Rainier, but botanically it is dis- 

 appointing, especially from the agrostological standpoint. As ob- 

 served on the ascent from Gotemba, there is an abrupt transition 

 from timber line to the bare cinder slopes above. There are no 

 alpine meadows harboring interesting grasses, as are found on most 

 mountains, the portion above timber line here being devoid of vege- 

 tation. An account of the vegetation is given by Hayata. 1 Fuji- 

 yama or Mount Fuji is a beautifully symmetrical somewhat truncated 

 cone, 45 by 30 kilometers wide at base and 3,778 meters altitude, the 

 upper slopes being about 34°. Hayata states that in the Salix-Alnus 

 region, about 2,500 meters, there are three species of grasses {Agros- 

 tis canina, Glyceria tonglensis, Miscanthus ■matsumurae) , and that 

 •'above the Salix-Alnus formation, there comes a small area of 

 higher (alpine) grass formation. This formation is, however, very 

 poor on this mountain, owing to its recent habitation. Only 29 

 species are listed for this region on the whole mountain, and only 

 one of these {Deschampsia caryophyllea) is a grass." 



The bamboos are well represented in Japan both by species and 

 individuals. The bamboo covered hills in the region of Lake Ha- 

 kone were a surprising sight. Large areas, square miles in extent, 

 were covered by a single species (Arundinaria chino), forming an 

 impenetrable thicket 4 to 8 feet high. 



CHINA. 



China was entered at Shanghai, a city giving much evidence of 

 foreign influence, as reflected in the fine modern buildings, electric 

 tramways, electric lights, and many good roads. Here is located the 

 only United States post office to be found outside of the United 

 States or its possessions. One can mail official packages home from 

 here under frank. Shanghai is not on the coast but about 18 miles 

 up the Whangpo River from the seaport Woosung. 



The journey of about 200 miles to Nanking was made by rail in 

 fairly comfortable coaches. Nanking is a treaty port and was for- 

 merly the old classical capital of south China. 



Ports as used in this sense are not confined to the vicinity of the 

 seacoast but may be in connection with interior cities that have been 

 opened to trade by treaty. Most Chinese cities are surrounded by 

 walls, these having been for protection against invasion in earlier 

 days. The wall of Nanking is 32 miles long and 30 to 50 feet high. 

 A comparatively small proportion of the area within the wall is 

 occupied by buildings, the remainder being farm land or unused 

 grassland. The University of Nanking, a thriving missionary insti- 



»The Vegetation of Mt. Fuji. Tokyo, 1911. 



