850 



doors, like willows. It has been called a variety of T. 

 hispida, but that species, as stated above, is very dis- 

 tinct in its downy twigs and leaves." (W. J. Bean, Trees 

 and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles.) As a wind break 

 plant the Tamarisk is proving to be very valuable on the 

 Great Plains and it is recommended for this purpose. 



Zea mays L. (Poaceae.) 39803-807. Seed of maize from 

 Oroya, Peru. Collected and presented by Dr. J. N. Rose, 

 U. S. National Museum. "Corn obtained from Chola women, 

 July 1914, altitude 12200 feet." (Rose.) Five varieties 

 including light yellow, mixed blue and white, brownish and 

 red. 



NOTES PROM CORRESPONDENTS ABROAD. 



China. Kiayingchow. Rev. George Campbell writes April 

 13, 1915. "You refer, of course, to the water buffalo. 

 As I write, people are using these animals in ploughing 

 their rice fields. The are exactly fitted for plouhing 

 and harrowing in the deep mud, and wallow through the 

 fields dragging the ploughs after them as no other animal 

 could. They are never used here as pack animals, and we 

 have no carts or vehicles of any kind. While I was at home, 

 in 1913, there was some talk of making a cart road from here 

 to a market town 17 or 18 miles north, and an enterprising 

 native came to my daughter to borrow a mail order cata- 

 logue and see what carts to be drawn by buffaloes would 

 cost. Nothing came of it, however, and I hear no more 

 about the road. They are used in some places to a limited 

 extent to supply milk. I suppose there may be 20 or more 

 so used in this city. 



"The loquats are just coming into the market now. 

 They are our earliest fruit. They vary greatly in size 

 and the seeds are usually very large. The trees thrive 

 and come into bearing early. The branches tend to split 

 at junction with the trunk and borers attack the trees, 

 caterpillars also. 



"Tobacco is a couple of feet high and the fields are 

 invariably edged with taro. Beans are growing well and 

 are extensively planted. Wistaria and Pride of India are 

 in bloom, and grapes are leafing out a little. Peaches 

 and almonds are as large as hickory nuts. Mulberries are 

 loaded to the ground with fruit. One plant of rhubarb is 

 doing very well. 



"I stumbled on something the other day while at an 

 out-station which may interest you. A tailor who has been 

 abroad (Rangoon) called on me and asked if anything could 

 be done for his 10 year old son who has epilepsy. I en- 

 quired about his heredity. He told me that he bought the 



