No. 145.] 377 



ter fruits, on trees that hitherto never produced any but small 

 fruit of no value. I have also succeeded with several different 

 fruit grafts upon the same tree. I have from my experience been 

 led to believe that grafts of one kind on a tree of a different kind 

 are to be preferred. 



[Revue Horticole, Paris, November 1, 1854.] 



THE RICE PAPER PLANT. 



Mr. Fortune says that he ascended, lately, a river on the north- 

 east coast of the island of Formosa. From the deck of our vessel 

 I saw a long distance off very large white flowers on the sloping 

 sides of hills. I went to examine them. I soon discovered that 

 they belonged to the species Japan lily, and thL*se flowers were 

 the largest and most vigorous I ever saw. They were growing 

 like wild primroses, without any cultivation at all. While I was 

 admiring the lilies, I discovered the plants from which the Chi- 

 nese make their famous rice paper, which Mr. Hooker has named 

 Aralia papyfera, which appear to grow here without culture; but 

 it was said to grow on an old field — once cultivated, but now de- 

 serted, and overrun with weeds and bushes. The most of the 

 plants which I examined were about from four to five feet high, 

 and an inch in diameter at the base ; this stem preserved nearly 

 the same thickness from bottom to top, and generally naked, hav- 

 ing a crown on the top consisting of several large palm like, beau- 

 tiful leaves, with long (petioles) foot stalks. The under sides of 

 the leaves and foot stalks were covered with a dense down of a 

 beautiful brown color. This down is very easily brushed off. I could 

 not find any of these plants in flower; they probably flower at a 

 more advanced season. A great number of young rice paper 

 plants were growing. A Chinese soldier took some of them up 

 very carefully for me, and I set them in Mr. Beale's garden at 

 Shanghai. In a few months I shall send some of the plants to 

 England. The stalks contain a great quantity of pith, above all 

 in the most vigorous top part of the stalk, with which the paper 

 (wrongly called rice paper) is made. The Chinese call this plant 

 Tung Tsaou. Botanists have been long misled by the name rice 

 paper, as to the true character of the plant. The only good draw- 

 ing of it I have seen in Europe is one brought by Mr. Reeves from 



