1934 
ziziphus jujuba (Rhamnaceae) , 17752 and 30488. Jujube . From 
China. "These trees are now about 12 feet high. They bore their 
first crop in 1920, and this year the crop was heavy. The fruits 
are as large as prunes, and very fine when processed." (R. S. El- 
liott, Fresno, Calif., October 16, 1923.) 
The Chinese Hairy Chestnut. 
{Castanea mollissima Blume.) 
Interest in our native chestnut has recently been reawakened by 
conditions affecting our tannin industry. The American chestnut fur- 
nished one of the most important sources of tannin, providing annually 
over 47 per cent of the material used here. For twenty years the 
blight fungus has ravaged our native chestnut forests and it would 
seem to be only a question of a few years when this valuable tree will 
be entirely wiped out. The users of tannin material are naturally 
concerned over the outlook and are casting about for substitutes to 
take the place of our valuable native tree. 
A number of years ago the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant In- 
troduction inaugurated work, looking toward the securing of blight- 
resistant chestnuts and related species from foreign sources. During 
the last sixteen years more than a hundred different lots of chestnuts 
have been brought in, catalogued, tested and distributed. Special 
attention has been given to the Chinese hairy chestnut, known bo- 
tanically as Castanea mollissima and commonly referred to in our re- 
cords as the mollissima chestnut of China. The late Frank N. Meyer, 
agricultural explorer of this office, discovered the true blight fun- 
gus on the mollissima type in China early in June, 1913. This dis- 
covery cleared up much of the mystery surrounding the origin of the 
disease and suggested the desirability of thoroughly testing the 
Chinese species here, especially as it gave evidence of being more 
or less resistant. Between the years 1906 and 1914 large seed im- 
portations of the Chinese hairy chestnut were made, chiefly through 
Mr. Meyer's efforts, who secured them from northeastern China, mainly 
the province of Chihli to the north and northeast of Peking. These 
early importations of seeds were sent to Chico, Calif. , and grown 
at our Plant Introduction Garden there. During the past ten years 
more than ten thousand young trees of the Chinese hairy chestnut have 
been grown and distributed to all parts of the United States. A good 
many of these trees have gone to public parks, others have been placed 
in the hands of foresters, and a considerable number have found their 
way into test nurseries and gardens of private experimenters. With a 
view to ascertaining what had happened to the trees, a questionnaire 
was distributed with the result that the mortality from one cause or 
another is shown to have been very heavy. Of the 10,595 trees dis- 
