ARGmiEKT FOR SOUTH CHINA EXPLORATIONS. 
July 25, 1916. 
Mr. W. A. Taylor, 
Chief, Bureau of Plant Industry. 
Dear Mr. Taylor: 
As you know, it has "been the intention that Mr. 
Prank N. Meyer should return to China for the purpose of 
continuing his explorations there, and the season for his 
departure is now at hand. 
In conferences with Mr, Cook, Mr, Swingle and other 
memhers of the Bureau, and as a result of conferences 
witch Mr. Meyer and I have had with Prof. Sargent of the 
Arnold Arhoretum, the conclusion has "been 'reached to 
send Mr. Meyer into the almost wholly unexplored prov- 
inces which lie, roughly speaking, along the coast from 
Shanghai to Canton. While the flora of western China 
has "been quite thoroughly explored "by E. E. Wilson, and 
the northern provinces have at least "been prospected by 
Mr. Meyer during his six years of travel there, the prov- 
inces of Chekiang, Pukien, Kwantung, Kiangsi, Kwangsi 
and Yunnan, which lie south of the Yangtse, are practi- 
cally unknown territory hotanioally and agriculturally 
speaking. That they offer a rich field for the explorer 
is indicated "by Mr. Meyer's discovery last year of a 
wild end undescrihed species of hickory in the Chekiang 
July 25, 1916. 
