C6 JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM [vol. i 



NOTES 



Arboretum Expedition to Eastern Asia. After an absence of twenty-six 



months j^assed in the Japanese Empire Mr. E. H. Wil^son returned to the 

 Arboretum on Mareh 17. He had passed 1914 in Jai)an, and his last jour- 

 ney was undertaken for the purpose of exploring the forests and studying the 

 trees of outlying parts of the Japanese Empire, Korea, the Bonin, and Liukiu 

 Islands, and Formosa. From his last journey Mr. Wilson has brought to the 

 Arboretum 30,000 herbarium specimens, 700 photograi)hs of trees and tyi)es 

 of vegetation, and a large collection of seeds and living plants. A picture 

 of every conifer and Taxad of the Japanese Emi)lrc, and of every other 

 native tree of Japan proper, Korea, and the Bonin Islands and of most of 

 the trees of Fo/mosa and the Liukiu Islands is found in the Arboretum 

 collection of photographs which offers a good oj)portunity to study these 

 trees as they grow naturally in their native forests, and well supplements 

 the j)holographs of the vegetation of western China made by Mr. Wilson 

 during his two journeys in lluj^eh and Szcchuan for tlie Arboretum. 



From the seeds collected by Mr. Wilson on his last journey a large num- 

 ber of plants have already been raised, including many now first cultivated 

 in western gardens. Of the plants introduced the most important is Tal- 

 wania cupressoidcs ILayata, the Redwood of Formosa, the tallest tree In the 

 world outside of California and Australia, and in its young state one of 

 the most beautiful of all conifers. Seeds of Taiwania have been distributed 

 by the Arboretum to Botanic Gardens in every c-ountry in the world where 

 there Is a chance that this tree nuiy grow. There are also a few young 

 plants of Taiwania in the Arboretum nursery which can be increased from 

 cuttings in case the seeds, which appear to have a low germinating power, 

 do not produce plants. Seeds of three other important Formosa conifers, 



Picea morrisonicola Ilayata, Ahia^ Kawaknmii Ito, and Cunninghamia 

 Konii>hii Ilayata, were also collected by AVilson and have been widely 

 distril)uted. As a result of Mr. Wilson's visit to tlu* Liukiu Islands the 

 Arboretum has been able to distribute the seeds of Plnus luchucnsis Mavr. 

 In tlic Bonin Islands a supply of seeds of the endemic Juniperu.'^ taxijolia 

 Hooker and Arnott was secured and has been distributed. At least two 

 (lifTerent ])lants have been cultivated under the incorrect name of Juni- 

 pcrus tcu'ifolia, but this is the first time that seeds have been collected of 

 ihis interesting Juniper which lias not been seen })efore by an American or 

 Euro{)ean botanist since 18^27 when Captain Bcechey visited the Bonin 

 Islands. 



Assistant Direcior of the Arboretum. — Since his return Mr. E. II. Wil- 

 sox has been appointed by the President and Fellows of the University 

 Assistant Director of the Arboretum. 



