880 FOREST CULTURE AND 
kim. A large, umbrageous tree. The drupaceous 
fruit is used by the inhabitants for food. A few other 
species occur in Upper India, one on the high mount- 
ains of Ceylon and one in North America. The lat- 
ter, P. pubera, Mich., can be utilized for the oil of its 
nuts. 
Pyrus coronaria, L.— The Crab-apple of North 
America. This showy species is mentioned here as 
worthy of trial-culture, since it is likely that it would 
serve well as stock for grafting. It seems unnecessa- 
ry to refer here to any of the forms of Pyrus commu- 
nis, L., P. Malus, L., P. Cydonia, L., and P. Ger- 
manica, J. Hook. (Mespilus Germanica, L.), but it 
may passingly be observed that curious fruits have 
been produced latterly in North America by the hy- 
bridization of the apple with the pear. A bitter Gly- 
cosid, namely, Phlorrhizin, is obtainable from the 
bark of apple and pear trees, particularly from that of 
the root, while a volatile alkaloid, namely, trime- 
thylamin, can be prepared from the flowers. 
Quercus Mongolica, Fischer.*—Mandschuria. One 
of the two species on which mainly (if not solely) the 
silk insect peculiar to oak - trees is reared, as shown 
by Dr. Hance. Q. serrata, Thunb. (Q. obovata, Bunge), 
the second of the principal oaks for the production of 
silk, has been mentioned previously in the Acclima- 
tization Society’s list of trees yielding timber, and has, 
through the exertions of the writer, found its way 
already to Australia, 
Rafnia amplexicaulis, Thunberg. — South Africa. 
The root of this bush is sweet, like liquorice, and is 
administered in medicine. Rafnia perfoliata, E. Mey- 
er, also from South Africa, furnishes likewise a me: 
dicinal root. 
