116 



The journal of Heredity 



^'•wi ^^'^f^* 'i^'i -Has- 



DESERT POPLAR OF TURKESTAN. 



Popiilus primiosa in the city park at Krasnawodsk. Although it is difficult to propagate, 

 this tree is highly desirable for desert regions, as it needs almost no water. The wood 

 is hard and lasting, but it does not attain great size. (Fig. 8.) 



weeding could be indulged in without 

 any harm. 



On Saturday, June 11, we wanted to 

 leave early, but I got a message from 

 the police to appear before them. 

 Something new, I thought. Well, we 

 went and the whole thing was nothing 

 but a curiosity to see me. The captain, 

 or whatever his rank was, asked my 

 interpreter whether I really was a bot- 

 anist, whether I only had interest in 

 plants, and more such suspicious ques- 

 tions. He then told us that ])crmissions 

 had come from St. Petersburg, allowing 

 me to photograph trees and plants only, 

 and that for every locality I wanted to 

 visit, I had to get a special permission 

 either written or verbal, depending 

 upon the importance of the place. But 

 — under no consideration would I l)e 

 granted permission to go to the Afghan- 

 istan frontier, as foreigners were not 



allowed! Well, I knew already most 

 of these matters, having made enquiries 

 beforehand. We thanked the police- 

 officer kindly and I was glad to have my 

 pap-:vjrt back again, which they had 

 kept all the time I was in Askabad. 



ARRIVAL AT MERW. 



We left the same day for Mcrw, 

 where we arrived after midnight. The 

 next day, June 12, was exceedingly 

 hot, and the light so intense as to make 

 one almost dizzy. We took out the 

 collected herbarium material, which 

 wasn't all dry yet, and gave it an airing 

 — much trouble herbarium material 

 causes on a journey! In Merw there is 

 a pretty park, where tall specimens of 

 poplars occur {Populus alba pyramid- 

 alis). I also saw there for the first time 

 in my life some fine large si)ecimcns 

 of the "Karakach" {L'lmus cauipcstris 



