491 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
NEW FOREIGN PLANT AND SEED INTRODUCTIONS 
The Office of Foreign Seed and 
Plant Introduction of the Bureau of 
Plant Industry, U. S. Department of 
.Vgriculture, was established for the 
purpose of introducing new or rare 
seeds and plants that gave promise 
of being valuable in creating new in- 
dustries or improving those already 
introduced. This work has been car- 
ried on by the Department for many 
years, and many notable introductions 
have been made in that time. The 
California orange growers say that 
one of those introductions, the Navel 
Orange introduced from Bahia, has 
been worth more to that state than 
the total cost of maintaining the De- 
partment of Agriculture since its in- 
ception. This is only one of the many 
valuable plants that have been intro- 
duced. but the same story is true of 
the Smyrna Fig, the Jordan Almond, 
the Date, Durum Wheat. Corn and, in 
fact, every one of our great plant in- 
dustries. They have all received bene- 
fit from this great introduction work. 
-Another phase of the work of Plant 
Introduction is the importing of 
plants or seed that will be used by 
hybridizers to improve those we al- 
ready have. , The introduction of new 
x'arieties of our cultivated plants is 
one of the most important works of 
the office. The tendency of plants to 
vary, giving us innumerable varieties, 
is recognized as of the greatest im- 
portance. Even the success or fail- 
ure of a whole industry will depend 
upon a slight difference that the ordi- 
nary observer would fail to detect. 
While we have a great number of 
plaut,s that have been raised li}' plant 
breeders in America that are very 
valuable, the fact remains that the 
greatest percentage of our crops are 
of foreign origin. When we consider 
that of all of the food plants now 
grown in America, only the pumpkin 
and a few grapes, plums and berries, 
are native of this country — even the 
Indian corn that is generally thought 
to be indigenous to the United States 
is, in all probability, an introduction 
from China into Mexico and thence 
to this country — one begins to realize 
how important a work plant introduc- 
tion is. 
In this great country we have all 
cr.nditions of soil and climate, from 
the temperate to the subtropical, 
from the moist to the desert and arid 
sections of the southwest: therefore 
we have soils in which will grow 
From an IllusU'ated Address Before the So- 
ciety of A merican Florists by Peter Bissett 
nearly all of the great crops of the 
world, and it is the work of the Office 
of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduc- 
tion to secure the plants best suited 
to the various conditions of the wide- 
ly diverse sections of our country, 
and by growing and distributing those 
plants, demonstrate to the farmers 
what they can do with these new in- 
♦■roductions. At the present time the 
office is giving especial attention to 
introducing material likely to prove 
adapted to the great southwestern 
sectians of our countr}^ where semi- 
arid conditions exist, and to such sec- 
tions where a considerable amount of 
alkali is present in the soil. 
Amongst the seeds and plants that 
come to us we very often get trees 
and shrubs that are especially valu- 
able for ornamental plantings in the 
different sections of our country. It 
is to bring to your attention a few of 
these introductions that I am present 
with you tonight. Most of the pictures 
that T will show were taken where the 
plants were discovered, so that you will 
see them at maturity and get an idea of 
their possible value to you in your park 
plantings. This material comes to the 
Department from its own explorers in 
the field, from the American Consuls, 
from missionaries and co-operators lo- 
cated all over the world. Such mate- 
rial as reaches us in small quantities is 
first placed in the hands of the propaga- 
tors at our various' introduction gardens, 
and then distributed to private and pub- 
lic parties who may be interested in them 
and wlio request them, in the various 
sections of the country where they are 
likely to do well. 
The following were the plants illus- 
trated : 
PiHta<*ia cliineiifsis: This photograph is of 
a female tree about 60 feet in height, grow- 
ing in the Wuchang gorge of the Yangtse 
River. The pistache is a fine, ornamental 
tree which will be appreciated in the mild- 
wintered sections. The Chinese press from 
the seeds an oil for burning purposes. It is 
a large, ornamental tree with graceful foli- 
age. 
Ciipressu.s torulosa: This picture was tak- 
en in the valley of the Tung River on the 
China-Tibetan border line. 
Sapiuin Sehiferiini. oi* Tallow Tree: This 
photograph was taken near Kiating, China. 
It grows plentifully in the neighborhood of 
Shanghai. China. This species is now cul- 
tivated in many warm regions and has al- 
ready been naturalized in the southern 
States, Vieing hardy as far north as the Caro- 
linas. In its native land the wax coating 
of the seed is used for the making of can- 
dles. while its hard, white, fine-grained 
wood is used for carving, incense, etc. In 
general appearance the tree resembles our 
common aspen, and in the autumn, owing to 
its beautiful deei)ly colored leaves, it makes 
a very striking ornamental. It grows in 
almost any kind of soil, but responds readi- 
ly to good treatment. 
Canariiiin Album Koeiiscli : This photo- 
graph was taken near Kia-tung-fu, China, 
11,000 feet elevation. The fruits of this tree 
are called Chinese Olives. The plant is 
grown in orchards on the river bank near 
Canton, and forms a very important article 
of commerce. 
Eueomniia inmoides Oliv: This photo- 
graph was taken at Patung, Hsien, China, at 
an elevation of l,800_feet. It shows a male 
tree about 30 feet in height. Cultivated in 
■Western Hupeh and Szechuan at altitudes 
between 1,000 and 4,500 feet. The tree is 
valuable for its bark, which constitutes the 
native drug “Tu-chung”. The bark, leaves 
and fruit contain a silky, elastic fiber com- 
posed largely of caoutchouc-like substance. 
Gleitsia (unknown): This photograph was 
taken at San-yu-tung. near Ichang, West- 
ern Hupeh. China. Tree 50 feet in height. 
Pinus Armandi: This photograph was 
taken in Western Szechuan, China. A new. 
comparatively dwarf pine from western Chi- 
na. 
Aleurites Fordii: “Tung-shu” or Wood 
Oil tree. This photograph was taken at 
Feng-tu, Hsien, on the banks of the Yang- 
tse River. China. The nuts of this tree are 
the source of wood oil. which is being im- 
ported in large quantities and used in the 
manufacture of paints, fine varnishes and 
soaps. The tree itself is of stately appear- 
ance, averaging 20 feet in height, with 
green, smooth bark, large heart-shaped de- 
ciduous leaves, the spreading branches mak- 
ing it one of the finest of shade trees. It 
has been styled, and wmrthily so, “The na- 
tional tree of China.” The tung-shu flour- 
ishes throughout the Yangtse valley, in lat- 
itudes 25® to 34^ north. It is said not to 
bear nuts, however, wiien subjected to tem- 
peratures as low as 20® F. 
Aolinidia Chiiiensi.s, Yang taw: This is 
a hardy, climbing, deciduous shrub, strong 
growing and excellent for covering arbors, 
trellises, w’alls and low buildings. This 
species is considered the most ornamental 
of the genus from a fine foliage point of 
viewA The leaves are large, heart-shaped, 
dark green on the upper surface, bright red- 
dish color and densely tomentose beneath. 
The fruit borne by this species is about the 
size of a hen's egg. full of meat and fine 
seeds very similar to the gooseberry or 'fig. 
with a fine, leathery, hairy cover. When it 
has been picked and left to soften, it is said 
to be very fine, having the flavor of the 
gooseberry, fig and citron combined. It also 
makes delicious pies, jam and sauce. 
Davidia Iiivolucrata : This photograph 
was taken in China. It is a most striking 
tree w^hen covered with its pure wiiite 
bracts, in wiiich state it is conspicuous at a 
great distance. The tree attains a height 
of 20 to 30 feet and has proven to be per- 
fectly hardy in the neighborhood of Wash- 
ington. It is found growing on high eleva- 
tions in central China, wiiere they have 
quite severe winters. This tree in full flower 
is a marvelous sight, owing to the alter- 
nate wiiite and green color caused by the 
large bracts intermingling with the leaves. 
Our foreign explorer. Mi*. Meyer, tells me 
that this is one of the handsomest Chinese 
flowering trees. 
Rosa Soiilieaiia: This photograph was 
taken in Kuan Chai, near Monkonongting, 
China. A Tibetan rose bearing clusters of 
small, wiiite llowers. 
QiiemiH JSerrala: This photograph was 
taken near Hanchow. China. 
Diospyros lotus: This photograph w'as 
taken at the foot of Fei-yuehling. Ching- 
chi. Hsien. China, at an elevation of 5,000 
