464 



established, if it is cut down, it immediately springs into life 

 again, "but does not sucker as the growth comes from the trunk. 

 It seems absolutely healthy and resistant. It is a tree much 

 prized to grow near the home of the colonist or estanciero of the 

 plains of Argentina." (Wing.) For distribution later. 



PISTACIA INTEGERRIMA. (Anacardiaceae . ) 31725. Seeds of' 

 zebra wood from Lahore, India. Procured by Mr. R. S. Woglum, of 

 this department from Mr. W. R. Mustoe, Superintendent of the 

 Botanical Gardens, Lahore. "This is the famous zebra wood of 

 Kakra, India, which grows to be a tree 40 feet or more high, with 

 a trunk in diameter from two and one half to three feet, or even 

 as much as four and three quarters feet. It grows on the warm 

 slopes of the Himalaya Mountains in northern India, usually at an 

 altitude of from 1200 to 8000 feet. The wood is very hard and 

 close grained, brown in color, and beautifully mottled with 

 yellow and dark veins, whence the name, 'zebra wood'." (Swingle.) 

 For distribution later. 



RHUS VERNICIFERA. (Anacardiaceae.) 31639. Seeds of the 

 lacquer tree from Japan. Presented by Mr. Thomas Sammons, 

 American consul general, who procured them from Mr. Matsunosuke 

 Yamaguchi , Nagano, Japan. "A slender-branched tree with winged 

 leaves, attaining a height of 20 feet. It is common throughout 

 Japan, and is cultivated for its sap, which flows from its stem 

 and branches on being wounded. It is first cream-colored, but 

 on exposure to the air soon turns black, and is the varnish 

 which the Japanese use for lacquering their furniture or orna- 

 mental articles." (Smith, Dictionary of popular names of economic 

 plants, p. 426.) "The varnish or lacquer is valuable because of 

 its great hardness without brittleness or becoming cracked; its 

 high lustre and mirror-like surface which remains untarnished 

 for centuries; its resistance to the agencies which attack 

 resinous varnishes as it is not injured by boiling water, hot 

 ashes, hot alcoholic liquors, acids, etc." (J. J. Rein, 

 Industries of Japan.) "Unlike ordinary paints which dry be- 

 cause of oxidizing properties of the oil in them, this Japanese 

 lacquer dries better in moist than in dry air as the result of a 

 supposed enzyme which acts upon an albuminoid in the presence of 

 a vegetable acid and a gum. The industry is one well worthy the 

 serious consideration of paint manufacturers." (Fairchild.) 

 Experimenters with this tree should remember that the volatile 

 sap causes a painful eruption on the .skin of certain persons 

 similar to that caused by our common Rhus species known as poison 

 ivy, though probably more intense even than the latter. For 

 distribution later. 



ROSA SPP. (Rosaceae.) 31692-695. Seeds of wild roses from 

 near Ghapsagai and Bogh-dalak, Mongolia. Among these are one 



