SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
notably in Western Chihli and Eastern Shansi. 
The nuts produced by some of these are of excel- 
lent quality. Needless to say the wood of the 
Walnut is greatly valued, and is the most ex- 
pensive to be had in the country. The Walnut 
occurs throughout all North China, but is very 
rare in North Shensi. 
The Wild Walnut occurs, though rarely, in North 
China, the mountains round Peking being almost 
the only place where it is known. 
Another nut-bearing tree that should be men- 
tioned is the Chestnut (Castanea sp.) This tree 
grows wild in the mountainous regions of North- 
western Chihli, occurring only very rarely else- 
where. The chestnut is one of the favourite 
nuts of the Chinese and it may be seen on every 
fruit or sweet stall in both town and country. 
In the dry and alkali impregnated parts of the 
Chihli plain and the wide valleys of Shansi the 
Tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) is to be found. There 
are two varieties, one a tree with a thick knotty 
trunk, light feathery foliage and clusters of minute, 
pink flowers. The whole plant is very graceful 
and ornamental. It is evidently capable of 
withstanding considerable drought. The other 
variety is a small shrub, with a red stem and long, 
trailing roots. It grows on the mud-flats of the 
large rivers in Shansi. 
\ 
225 Q 
