Chap. IX. 



NATUEAL PRODUCTIONS. 



189 



an excellent variety of Indian corn. A small 

 quantity of rice is also grown in the valleys ; but 

 the land capable of producing the crop is not very 

 extensive. 



Many of these hills are well wooded. I re- 

 marked as we went along good forests of Chinese 

 pine (Finus sinensis) , the Japan cedar (^Cryptomeria 

 Japonicd)^ and the lance-leaved fir {Cunninghamia 

 lanceolatd). The forests of the Japan cedar and 

 the lance-leaved pine were extremely picturesque 

 and beautiful. The trees generally were young 

 and not remarkable for size, but were growing 

 vigorously, and likely, if allowed to stand for a few 

 years, to make valuable timber. In addition to 

 this consideration, there were a symmetry and 

 grace in the general appearance of these forests 

 which one rarely sees in temperate climates, if we 

 except perhaps the Himalaya mountains. The 

 hemp-palm ( Cliamoerops sp.) — a tree of great 

 importance to the Chinese in a commercial j)oint 

 of view, on account of the sheets of fibre which it 

 produces yearly on its stem — also occupied a 

 prominent place on the sides of these mountains ; 

 and the graceful mow-cJiok — the most beautiful 

 bamboo in the world — was grouped about in wild 

 profusion. 



This bamboo I have never met in any other 

 part of the world. In the central and eastern 

 provinces of China it is largely cultivated, par- 

 ticularly on the sides of mountains where the soil 

 is rich, and in the vicinity of temples and other 



