1022 
8,000 to 9,000 feet, the forests are com- 
posed of ordinary deciduous trees, simi- 
lar in a general way to those of our own 
Atlantic seaboard. From 9,000 to 12,000 
feet (the general limit of trees) are to 
be found magnificent forests of spruce, 
pine, silver fir, larch, and hemlock. 
Throughout the conifer forests and 
extending downwards to 5,000 feet, 
rhododendrons frequently form the prin- 
cipal undergrowth. In June and early 
July no more gorgeous sight exists than 
the miles and miles of these rhododen- 
drons in full flower. Rhododendrons 
are gregarious in habit and each species 
has its own well-defined altitudinal range. 
These characteristics give rise to belts 
of color—white, pink, scarlet, etc., as the 
case may be. 
Above the tree-limit are undulating 
moorlands covered with coarse herbs, 
dwarf rhododendrons, willows, junipers, 
prickly oaks, ete. These give way to an 
Alpine vegetation, consisting largely of 
gentians, primulas, poppy-worts, louse- 
worts, monkshoods, various composites, 
eten ally characterized mbya ne ttense 
coloring of their flowers. The limit of 
vegetation is reached at 16,000 to 16,500 
feet. Above this are bare rocks, mo- 
raines, and glaciers, culminating in per- 
petual snows—the whole a panorama of 
wondrous beauty. 
To the general reader it is difficult to 
convey any adequate idea of the nature 
of this beautiful flora. Technical names 
are meaningless to the majority, whose 
interest does not extend beyond an ap- 
preciation of the beautiful. It would be 
easy to fill a large volume with long 
names, but such a catalogue would serve 
no useful purpose here. 
OUR DEBT TO CHINA’S GARDENS 
In the early part of this article our 
indebtedness in the past to Chinese gar- 
dens for so many plants familiar to all 
in these days has been lightly touched 
upon. It may be of general interest to 
know that China is the real home of, 
and not merely a place of ancient culti- 
vation of, these and many other plants. 
In central China the wild parents of our 
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
tea and rambler roses, moutan pzonies, 
chrysanthemums, Boston ivy, Indian aza- 
leas, gardenias, greenhouse and obconica 
primroses are common plants by the way- 
side cliffs or woodlands. 
Also to China we owe the parents of 
our oranges, lemons, grapefruit, citrons, 
peaches, apricots, European walnut, and 
other valued fruits. These and other 
fruits are abundantly cultivated by the 
Chinese, and have been from time imme- 
morial. The origin of our cultivated 
fruits, vegetables, and cereals is a fasci- 
nating though extremely difficult subject. 
That we owe much to the older nations 
of the world is beyond dispute, and 
amongst these China holds a prominent 
place. That we have not exhausted 
China’s possibilities in this matter I hope 
to show later. 
The Chinese flora is largely peculiar 
to the country itself, and, indeed, the 
number of endemic genera and species 
is remarkable, even when the size of the 
country is duly considered. 
In the south and southwest there is 
a distinct Malay-Indian element, and in 
the north several European forms exist; 
in the far west there is found a distinct 
affinity with the Sikkim-Himalayan flora. 
Yet the real affinity of the Chinese flora 
is with the Atlantic side of the United 
States ! 
This remarkable fact was first demon- 
strated by the late Dr. Asa Gray when 
investigating the early collections made 
in Japan: Modern work in China, and 
especially central China, has given over- 
whelming evidence and established be- 
yond question Asa Gray’s theory. There 
are many instances in which only two 
species of a genus are known—one in 
the eastern United States and the other 
in China and Japan. Noteworthy exam- 
ples are the Tulip tree, Kentucky coffee 
tree, and the Sassafras. In each of these 
China possesses one species and we have 
another. A considerable number of fami- 
lies are common to both countries, and 
in most instances China is the dominant 
partner. Usually we have one and China 
several species of the same genus, but 
here and there the opposite obtains. Ina 
