178 

 BOTANICAL NOTES. 



By Dk. George Vasey, Botanist. 



Flora of Japan. — The following notes on the flora of a portion of 

 the Japanese Empire, by Mr. Thomas Hogg, who is well knov/u as the 

 introducer of many Japanese horticultural novelties, will be read with 

 interest. The government operations in experimental agriculture, which 

 are alluded to in Yesso, are doubtless those conducted by General 

 Caprou, formerly of this Department. The report is communicated to 

 US' through the State Dei^artment : 



A hunied journey through a section of country, however limited, is insufficient to enable 

 the investigator to give anything like a full description of its flora. As the area of country 

 is enlarged, the difficulties of doing so are increased, and a residence of v/eeks or months 

 combined with frequent journeys becomes necessary, in order to describe with even approxi- 

 mate completeness its floral treasures. It is therefore impossible for me to more than take a 

 hasty glance at the vegetation, as the results of a tour of a few weeks in portions of the 

 islands of Yesso and Niphon. 



Occasionally I shall take the liberty of departing in a slight degree from the direct subject 

 of my report to a consideration of the country with reference to its agricultural capabilities 

 and productions, as suggested to my mind during the journey. 



The flora of the island of Yesso, though in some respects resembling that of high altitudes 

 on the island of Niphon, still exhibits a marked difference, owing to its liigher latitude, isola- 

 tion, and narrower limits. Its peculiarity in these respects is apparent, in the absence of 

 many trees common throughout Niphon. On no portion of the route over which I traveled, 

 with the exception of the immediate neighborhood of Hakodate, did I find growing, in a 

 natural state, either Cryptomerias, Pines, Retinospora, Planera, or the Wistaria. Those 

 seen at Hakodate were probably grown from seed or young trees brought from other districts. 

 On the high hills, at the base of which Hakodate is situated, are found growing a species of 

 Tilia, resembling, if not identical with, T. europcea, Pyrus aucuparia (?) Hydrangea panicu' 

 lata, Bcrheris vulgaris, and several species of Euonymus. 



On the level plain northward are found IVahlenberina grandiflora, Aconitmn fischcrii, (?) 

 Also found growing abundantly all over the island, Luthrum virgntum and Cimicifuga rncemosa. 

 Passing over the mountain-ridge toward, Volcano Bay, on the road leading to the town of 

 Moie, on its shores, I first met with the elm and beech plentifully distributed. A species of 

 poplar is also common. It attains a larger size than other trees of the forest, which here are 

 not generally of large growth, owing to the volcanic, thin, gravelly soil. 



Crossing over Volcano Bay to Mororau, the first portion of the road leading over the 

 mountain-spurs that terminate abruptly at the sea-side, the variety of forest-tunber is in- 

 creased by the addition of alder, birch, -lEsculus, and Magnolia hypoleuca in quantity. 

 Descending the mountain-spurs, the road runs close to the beach, a:nd its course is almost 

 devoid of arboreal growth. The most conspicuous plant to be seen is the beautiful Gentiana 

 pneuiiionanthe, (?) with an occasional Waldenbtrgia grandiflora. Both of these plants appar- 

 ently find a more congenial home on the eastern than on the western side of the island, 

 where 1 occasionally met with the first, but with the latter not once. 



A short distance from Tomokomia the road turns toward the interior, passing over a flat 

 country, swampy in places, and mostly covered with oak-trees of low growth, the soil being 

 thin and poor. About five ris from the coast more elevated land was reached, and covered 

 with somewhat larger timber. Some of the species, seen on the mountains near the sea- 

 coast, here disappeared, and among others that took their place was the ash, more closely 

 allied to the American than the European species of that tree. 



Soon after leaving Chistosi, seven ris from the coast, the appearance of the country im- 

 proved. Ascending a hundred or more feet, the plateau was of moderately good soil and 

 covered with oak-timber. Approaching Shimamadzer the soil lost its volcanic character, 

 and was apparently fertile, and continued to improve all the way to Satsporo. Oak-timber 

 predominated on this richer land, and attained a good size. 



My liniited time of four days at Satsporo, portions of which it rained, did not permit an 

 extended investigation of the surrounding country. It presented, however, no features 

 specially different over that which 1 had already passed. On the drier soil, oak still prevailed, 

 but along water-courses, with a moist soil, tiiere was a dense growth of a variety of trees 

 already enumerated, with undergrowth of dwarf bamboo and shrubs. 



Beyond Satsporo, toward the Ishkaro River, the country becomes lower and somewhat 

 swampy. Oak disappears, and elm takes its place. The nature of the soil in all this sec- 

 tion of country is shown in the luxuriant crops of farm-produce within the inclosures of re- 

 cent settlers. Cereals had all been harvested, but later crops, as buckwheat, beans, &c., 



