AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
279 
ON THE PLANTS OF CHINA. 
BY MR. R. FORTUNE. 
The tea plant was now frequently seen on 
the hill sides, this being the outskirt of the 
great green tree country, to which I was 
bound. Large camphor trees were frequent¬ 
ly seen in the valleys, particularly near the 
villages. Fallow trees were still in exten¬ 
sive cultivation ; and, at this season of the 
year, being clothed in their autumnal hues, 
they produced a striking effect upon the va¬ 
ried landscape. The leaves had changed 
from a light green to a dark blood-red color. 
Another tree, a species of maple, called by 
the Chinese the fung-gze, was also most 
picturesque from the same cause. These 
two trees formed a striking contrast with 
the dark green foliage of the pine tribe. 
But the most beautiful tree found in this 
district is a species of weeping cypress, 
which I had never met with in any other 
part of China, and which was quite new to 
me. It was during one of my daily rambles 
that I saw the first specimen. About half a 
mile distant from where I was, I observed a 
noble-looking fir tree, about sixty feet in 
height, having a stem as straight as the Nor¬ 
folk Island pine, and weeping branches, like 
the willow of St. Helena. Its branches grew, 
at first, at right angles to the main stem, then 
described a graceful curve upward, and bent 
again at their points. From these main 
branches, others, long and slender, hung 
down perpendicularly, and gave the whole 
tree a weeping and graceful form. It re¬ 
minded me of some of those large and gorge¬ 
ous chandeliers sometimes seen in the 
theaters and public halls in Europe. What 
could it be? It evidently belonged to the 
pine tribe, and was more handsome and orna¬ 
mental than them all. I walked—no, to tell 
the plain truth, I ran—up to the place where 
it grew, much to the surprise of my attend¬ 
ants, who evidently thought I had gone 
crazy. 
When I reached the spot where it grew, it 
appeared more beautiful even than it had 
done in the distance. Its stem was perfectly 
straight, like Crytomeria, and its leaves were 
formed like those of the well-known arbor- 
vitae, only much more slender and graceful. 
This specimen was fortunately covered with 
a quantity of ripe fruit, a portion of which I 
was most anxious to secure. The tree was 
growing in some grounds belonging to a 
country inn, and was the property of the inn¬ 
keeper. A wall intervened between us and 
it, which I confess I felt very much inclined 
to get over; but remembering thatlwasact- 
ing Chinaman, and that such a proceeding 
would have been very indecorous, to say the 
least of it, I immediately gave up the idea. 
We now walked into the inn, and, seating 
ourselves quietly down at one of the tables, 
ordered some dinner to be brought to us. 
When we had taken our meal we lighted 
our Chinese pipes and sauntered out, accom¬ 
panied by our polite host, into the garden, 
where the real attraction lay. “ What a 
fine tree this of yours is ! we have never seen 
it in the countries near the sea where we 
come from ; pray give us some of its seeds.” 
“It is a fine tree,” said the man, who was 
evidently much pleased with our admiration 
of it, and readily complied with our request. 
These seeds were carefully treasured ; and 
as they got home safely, and are now grow¬ 
ing in England, we may expect in a few 
years to see a new and striking feature pro¬ 
duced upon ourlandscape by this lovely tree. 
Afterward, as we journied westward, it be¬ 
came more common and was frequently to 
be seen in clumps on the sides of the hills. 
This tree has been named the Funeral 
Cypress. 
Fortune’s Journey to the Tea Districts of China. 
falter* 
For the American Agriculturist. 
THOUGHTS FOR BOYS- 
“ Reed from Mrs.-the a Bove tax in fool.” 
This is a copy of a receipt given me this 
fall by a tax-gatherer. I have copied it for 
the examination of the boys who read the 
American Agriculturist. What do they 
think of it ? I trust there are very few of 
them who would originate such a specimen 
of writing ; but this may serve to show them 
the importance of improving their time, 
during the winter, by profitable study. 
Most boys, at this season, can be spared to 
attend school; but, if that is impossible, there 
are long evenings in which they can read 
and write, and prepare themselves for future 
usefulness and respectability. 
Most of our distinguished men have been 
sons of farmers, who have had to labor ear¬ 
ly and, late for their own maintenance ; but 
they have been boys who studied and 
thought, and improved all the opportunities 
for acquiring information that came in their 
way. 
It is the glory of America that the path of 
distinction is open to all. The most ignorant 
boy of to-day, by diligence and application, 
may become the renowned statesman of 
coming years. It is the duty of every boy 
to make as much of himself as possible. 
He may not become a Clay, a Calhoun, or a 
Webster, yet who knows his own future ? 
They did not dream in their boyhood of the 
fame they should acquire in their manhood. 
Study, boys, study. Learn to spell cor¬ 
rectly and to write well, and the world may 
hear of you. At least, you will not dis¬ 
grace your manhood by giving receipts “ in 
fool.” Anna Hope. 
GIVE THE BOYS A CHANCE. 
Do you know anybody that wants to hire a 
boy? We confess that we never have heard 
this, the most common of all inquiries, with¬ 
out a feeling of sadness, and never say no, 
without a hearty wish that we had something 
for a boy to do. Poor little fellows, ill kept 
and poorly clad, turn their anxious faces up 
to yours, in the hope to find a favorable an¬ 
swer, and thus to end a long and painful 
quest for the means to earn a mouthful of 
honest bread. They move on, with drooping 
heads, to repeat for a thousand times the in¬ 
quiry, and to receive the same response, in 
tones of every variety of indifference. “A 
boy ” is learning his first sad lessons in the 
coldness of the world and the harshness of 
life. We will not go beyond him to see 
what aching heart there is in some poor 
home, that, mingled with hope and fear, has 
sent him forth on his thankless mission ; for 
that the boy himself should be obliged to go 
and ask again and be refused the opportuni¬ 
ty to be useful, is sad in itself. 
' In this fast age—this struggling, crowding 
world, there is little room for boys; and there 
is far too little thought taken of the obliga¬ 
tion that rests upon men to make place for 
them. These materials of which men are 
made are neglected, and we are too prone to 
forget how important an element we our¬ 
selves are in settling the question, whether 
they are to be good or bad. We have a plea 
to make for the boys. Words of kindness 
and encouragement to those who are first 
launching their frail barks upon the voyage 
of life, are worth thousands of dollars spent 
in process to reform such as through neglect 
and despair have forgotten their good im¬ 
pulses, and suffered themselves to be led into 
courses of transgression. A little world may 
stimulate a hope that glimmers on the verge 
of extinction into a motive strong and uner¬ 
ring to impel its owner forward in the path of 
usefulness and honor. Be kind to the boys. 
And to the boys we would say, never de¬ 
spair. If one does not want a boy, try 
another. You have a right to make the in¬ 
quiry. The world was made for you as well 
as for the men, and God has determined that 
you shall have a place in it. The hopes of 
the world are in the boys—the poor boys— 
and insignificant and placeless as you "feel 
yourselves, your mission is important, and if 
you are worthy, your day will surely come. 
There is another thing ; go to the country ; 
chances for useful employment are numer¬ 
ous and various in the agricultural districts. 
Avoid the town, with its places of low amuse¬ 
ments, and lower dissipation. Determine to 
be men, and honest men, and the time will 
come Avlien you will be disposed to think over 
the hardships you have suffered for their ef¬ 
fect in developing your energies and in fixing 
your character. [Credit lost. 
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. 
There is in earth enough of beauty to 
warm, cheer, and enliven the heart, were il 
but looked upon with an eye to see, and a 
mind to feel it. 
Look on the bright side, keep looking on 
the bright side. Surround yourself with 
forms and hues of beauty—“ a thing of 
beauty is a joy forever.” Thus, if you 
would be joyous—and who would not ?—cul¬ 
tivate a taste for the beautiful; and what so 
beautiful—ever renewing their youth and 
beauty—as the things with which God has 
surrounded us ? 
Then let that majestic elm still wave its 
branches in lofty freedom. Suppose it 
would make so many feet of boards, let it 
stand, as you would be happy in a shady, 
beautiful home. Leave that little patch for 
wife and children to scatter flower-seeds in 
the spring time. Suppose you could raise 
so many potatoes upon it; leave it if you 
would meet joyous, smiling faces. 
Indeed, surround, in country and city, your 
homes with the beautiful, that your eye, 
resting upon it, may be insensibly but surely 
attracted to that perfect beauty of soul 
which, if you make it yours, shall one day 
bear you where none will say, “ look on 
the bright side,” since every side will be 
bright with purity—bright with love, for 
“ God is love.” 
Push Along. —Push along. It’s the way 
your sound and hearty mortals do. And 
you can’t do without it. The world is so 
made, society so constructed, that it is a law 
of necessity "that you must push. That is, 
if you would be thought something and 
somebody. 
Push along. Push a strong push and per¬ 
petual push. All see the power in it. See 
how it gains, accumulates, whether of wis¬ 
dom or wealth. We never knew a man who 
was a right smart pusher who finally did not 
become rich, respectable, wise, and useful. 
The fact is, you are morally sure to be¬ 
come so if you push—push like real, live, 
determined up and down man. 
If things look dark, push the harder; sun¬ 
shine and blue sky are just beyond; If you 
are entangled, push—if your heart grows 
feeble, push. You’ll come out victorious. 
Never fear. 
