753 
growth, able to withstand drought and alkali to a great 
degree. Of value especially for those semi-arid sections 
of the United States where the winters are not too severe. 
Chinese name 'Shan tchun liu' , meaning mountain spring 
willow." (Meyer's introduction.) For distribution later. 
"It is peculiar that the tamarisk is listed by a num- 
ber of nursery companies as an ornamental for the humid 
areas of eastern United States and Is commonly employed in 
that way. Rarely is any mention made in nursery cata- 
logues of its adaptlbility for dry-land conditions. The 
writer was made acquainted with its drought-resistant 
qualities accidentally through having obtained a single 
specimen for planting in a yard in the southwestern 
plains. It was soon found to be by far the most drought- 
resistant and otherwise hardy of all the trees and shrubs 
planted on the same land, Including about twenty species. 
There appears to be no limit in dryness of the soil on any 
usual Great Plains farm beyond which this plant will not 
survive. It is also best fitted for saline soil of all 
plants yet known to the writer. It has an extremely rapid 
growth, and, by branching out close to the ground, produces 
an excellent close hedge which will soon turn some kinds 
of stock even with its absence of thorns. None of the 
species known to the writer grow very tall, not ordinarily 
more than twenty feet, though two rather old specimens 
have been observed near the courthouse at Tascosa, Texas, 
12 to 15 inches in diameter. 
"To the ordinary observer, not a specialist in botany, 
the plant is best described by saying that it most resem- 
bles asparagus. It has a tendency to make a very scraggy 
growth and will not grow erect with the lower limbs very 
far from the ground unless carefully and constantly pruned 
to that end. Botanically it belongs to the order Tamaris- 
cineae. It bears very small scale-like leaves and small 
pink or white flowers, which are either four or five 
parted. • £■ 
"An interesting thing about tamarisk, and of the 
greatest importance where these trees are adapted and 
where nursery stock is not easily obtained, is the fact 
that the plant can be readily propagated by means of 
cuttings. After two or three years' growth, therefore, 
of from one to one dozen specimens there need to be no 
further purchase of stock, as there is plenty of material 
in the way of cuttings from these trees for all ordinary 
planting purposes. If advantage is taken of an opportunity 
to put the cutting in the ground soon after a rain, no 
further attention is needed other than good cultivation, 
and during an average season on the driest farms in the 
Great Plains the trees will thereafter succeed without a 
question." (Mark Alfred Carleton, Science, May 8, 1914.) 
