875 
Mr. A. Woeikoff, Director, Experimental Garden of the 
Cholmy School of Horticulture. "A deciduous bush or small 
tree; leaves ovate, the apex long drawn-out , two to three 
and one half inches long, half as wide, reddish at first, 
then bright green and smooth above with axil tufts of down 
beneath; stalk one-half to one lnoh long. Flowers mostly 
solitary, white or pink. Fruits scarcely stalked, about 
one inch long, yellow, except on the sunny side, covered 
with a velvety skin; the flesh scanty, dry, harsh and 
scarcely edible; kernel of nut with an almond- like, bitter* 
taste. Native of the mountains of southern Siberia, where, 
according to Pallas, the Russian botanist, some mountain- 
sides are. covered with its pink blossoms In May, when the 
northern sides are purple with Rhododendron dauricum . Al- 
though an old tree In gardens(it was cultivated at Kew one 
hundred years ago), and still offered for sale by conti- 
nental dealers, it is scarcely known in England nowadays . 
So far as I have seen, it has very little to recommend It 
for . gardens , being of about the same value as the wild 
apricot, to which it is very closely allied. Its .leaves, 
have usually much more elongated points." (W. J. Bean, 
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, vol ,.2, p. 253. ) 
Pyrus salicifolia Pallas . (Malaceae . ) 40497 . Seeds of the 
willow-leaved pear from Novospasskoe, Russia. Presented 
by Mr. A. Woeikoff, Director, Experimental Garden of the 
Cholmy School of Horticulture. "A tree 15 to 25 feet 
high, branchlets covered with down which Is quite white 
when young:. Leaves l£- to 3^- Inches long, 1/3 to 2/3 
Inches wide, narrowly lanceolate, tapering gradually 
towards both ends, covered when young on both slides with a 
beautiful silvery grey down; later in the year this falls 
away from the upper surface, leaving it shining green; 
margins quite entire; stalk one-half Inch long or less, 
sometimes scarcely noticeable. Flowers pure white, about 
three-fourths Inch across, produced in April, closely pack- 
ed in small rounded corymbs, the calyx and flower-stalk 
covered with white wool. Fruit of the typical pear-shape, 
one to 1^ inches long and wide. Native of southeastern 
Europe and Asia Minor. It is much the most ornamental 
of all true pears. Its leaves and flowers often open 
simultaneously, and it then presents a very charming pic- 
ture, the willow-like leaves being of a conspicuous silky 
white. After the flowers fade, the leaves remain silvery 
for some weeks, gradually, however, becoming greener on 
the upper surface. The fruit is harsh to the palate and 
of no value." (W. J. Bean, Trees and Shrubs Hardy In the 
British Isles, vol.2, p. 292-293.) 
