700 



of reconnoitering more than one of thorough exploration, 

 but as Kansu is difficult land I first want to become ac- 

 quainted with local conditions before starting out on any- 

 thing very big. " 



"In the splendid bracing autumn weather which we are 

 experiencing here these last days I have seen several' 

 Chinamen carrying plants of the dellciously fragrant tea- 

 olive Olea frugritiix through the streets of the city here. 

 These plants are all grafted on Ligustrum H/J . (L. siitruxc or 

 L. quihoui.'} In the Shantung Province however they use as 

 stock riiwnanthux rctnsa, while in Central China the plant 

 thrives on its own roots. 



"Now this thought occurs to me. Our olive is a very 

 near relative of this Olca fniL>r(tnx, our olive suffers much 

 here and there from frosts, from ill-drainage and from 

 root-rot. Could not we make some extensive experiments in 

 grafting or budding olives of various species of Ligus- 

 trum on various species of Chionanthus and on various 

 species of Praxinus, with the aim to make Olea curopaca 

 hardier, more resistant to various uncongenial factors and 

 above all to make it more fruitful? Have also experi- 

 ments been made already, for so far as you are aware, to 

 make "standard" trees out of Foi'sytliitt rir dinKinia and F. 

 suspeiisa by grafting it on Ashes, Fringe-trees and Privets 

 or Lilacs, for instance on Syi'iug<i ain-id'cnsisl Since this 

 whole family of Oleaceae seems to bear grafting and budding 

 of one species on the other so remarkably well, our office 

 might be able to produce something remarkable along these 

 lines. For the olive I should say the large-leaved ever- 

 green Ligiixtrmi), litcidinti would make a fine stock. This 

 tree privet does well in gardens in the city of San 

 Antonio, Texas. Chionanthus rctusa S.P.I. 21617 might also 

 be a good stock for same. 



"We are having here a very bad persimmon year, few 

 fruits are coining in. The growers say it was the early 

 rains which prevented the fruit from setting and even when 

 set, water that lodged beneath the large calyx caused the 

 young fruit to drop. As such I have not quite been able' 

 to make out whether all fruits on a tree are exactly alike 

 as regards the position of the incision around or whether 

 there is a variation among them even on one tree. Yester- 

 day I obtained some fruits from a seller and two varieties 

 were all mixed up; one a very flat form, with the incision 

 close to the calyx and the other, somewhat rounder, with 

 the cut more toward .the middle of the fruit." 



