?9 
Concerning obtaining quantities of Davidia 
involucrata , it seems that the tree is especial- 
ly abundant South of Patung, "but with all the 
fighting going on there no one knows what time a 
collector could travel in that district. 
Concerning similarity of fruits of Pyrus 
calleryana and P. betulaefolia , v.'ell, that has 
been some problem. I found out that the first, 
v/hen fully^ripe, turns into a brown color and 
the last becomes black. Hov/ever, when ignorant 
natives bring in several thousands of pounds of 
fruits and not all entirely ripe, then you may 
realize what a job we had in trying to separate 
the tv;o kinds. 
I see your remarks re possible promotion; 
it really seems that laborers in factories and 
yards are slipping over a point or tv;o over 
those who are at fixed salaries. 
Growing Chinese yams for flour-production 
in America; well, the digging of yams is a very 
laborious process and right here they are really 
in the nature of a luxury. This whole hunting 
for riew food products is really a trying situa- 
tion. So much exTJerimenting is needed to establish 
a new crop that often a person's v/hole life might 
have to be devoted to it. 
I think that soy bean flour might come to 
the front and all' sorts of beans should be tried, 
especially in the So. States. 
Your very sympathetic remarks are surely 
appreciated by me. Times certainly are sad and 
mad and from a scientific point of view so ut- 
terly unnecessary. 
Yv'ell, later on I'll answer more correspond- 
ence from you and from others in our Office. 
This letter was received at the Office in Y/ashington on 
June P.O. 1918, and proved to be Mr. Meyer's last letter to 
us. On the afternoon of June 4, 191B, the State Department 
telephoned us the following cablegram from the American 
Consul at Nanking, China: 
Prank Meyer, Department Agriculture, 
disappeared from a steamer in this consular 
district en route Hankov/ to Shanghai June 
second. 
September 21, I918. 
