825 



written by T'ao Yuan Ming between A. D. 365-427, describ- 

 ing how a fisherman got lost one day and penetrating up a 

 river finds himself in a creek bordered with many peach 

 trees full of bloom, at the end of which he comes upon a 

 small mountain in which is a cave v/hich he traverses and 

 enters on a new country where there is every sign of pros- 

 perity, every one is courteous to each other, kindliness 

 and contentment prevail, but they wear the garb of the 

 times of the First Emporer some five centuries previous 

 and have been lost to the rest of the country ever since. 

 The fisherman returns after a sojourn with them, and tells 

 his fellow villagers of this wonderful country and stirs 

 up so much interest that finally the governor of the prov- 

 ince joins in the search for this wonderful country, but 

 it is all of no avail and at last the fisherman realizes 

 that he will never more see the peach blossom days of his 

 youth with its rosy dreams and ideals that come but once 

 in a lifetime. " 



Palestine. Zicron Jacob. Mr. Aaron Aaronsohn writes 

 March 2, 1915: "In reply to your letter of Jan. 9, asking 

 for seeds and cuttings of Prunus ursina I am sorry to say 

 that at this time it is entirely impossible to think of 

 going up to the Mount Hermon for botanical and agricultur- 

 al purposes. We are doing practically no work worth men- 

 tioning owing to circumstances entirely independent of our 

 good will. Corresponding is practically impossible now 

 and you \vill excuse us for our long silence." 



Italy. Rome. Dr. Gustav Eisen writes March 12, 1915: 

 "I expect to leave here on the steamer Stampalia March 

 24th. I have prepared a 'Notes on Italian Fruits', with 

 principal references to those in the Roman markets, etc., 

 which I will send you from New York, expecting to finish 

 copying it on the steamer. There are dozens of varieties 

 which I should like to have sent the Department, such as 

 the large Syracusa blood orange, Cerina apple, Posele and 

 Crisomele di Somma, etc. The Limoncella apple is the same 

 as the one you have seen. There are however two vari- 

 eties, exactly alike in quality, but different in size and 

 time of maturity. One is the Mela Limoncella proper and 

 the other Rosmarina di Napoli. The latter is a trifle 

 larger and does not last quite so long into the winter. 

 That is as far as I can learn at present. I have seen 

 both and that is what I have been told. But as you know, 

 the names of fruits in Italy are somewhat uncertain and 

 those who know are few and far between. So far I have not 

 come across anyone in Rome who could give me the infor- 

 mation wanted, and all the literature I have consulted 



