May 5:—We observed a Box Elder in a garden the other day and thought it looked" very ornamental; its green and. white variegated foliage formed 9 very pleasing contrast to the maples, junipers and flowering shrubs which were planted in same group. Botanically, the tree is known as Acer Negunda variegatum. Serrissa foetida, a dwarf Japanese shrub is now {in flower: this plant makes a very pretty hedge and it is also much used as a dwarf pot plant. 'Another shrub we observed in flower today was Pittosporum Tobira, this is also native to Japan fand it derives its' name from pilte—to pitch and sporos—a seed. 'The seeds have a coating resinous matter. This shrub makes a useful pot plant and it was at one time extensively used for hedge planting in Shanghai: it has Kono out of favour for this work' however, owing to it being the host plant of the Cottony scale; we have seen many hedges ruined by this chappie, the natural enemy of which is the larvae of the Ladybird. We have been asked to refer to the Wu-tung tree in these notes. The Phoenix tree, so called because it was stated in old legends that the phoenix bird would only rest on this tree, Is known by. two names. 'Some writers refer to it as Firmiane plantanivolta, Cauthorities—Schott, 1794-1805 and End-Aicher, 1804-1849), while others prefer. to call Sterculia plantanifolia, (authority—Carl von Linn', 1741-1785). Ag it is customary to accept the earlier authority it would appear correct for {0 accept Sterculia plantenifolia as the botanical name, although Woon Young Chun in hiis useful book, "Chinese Economic Trees," tells us that it "has been placed under Firmiana." The tree is excellent for shade planting and its round head and smooth green bark makes it suitable for use as a specimen lawn tree; we hope to again refer to this tree when it is in flower. It is a native of China and Japan. Our local coir palm Trachycarpus exceleus is now coming into Mower; this palm is very attractive fu its young state but cannot be considered so When it has grown tall and leggy. The thre produced by the tree is used for making door mats, brushes and rope, and it is also. sold as. palm string': the whole fibrous bark covering often stripped off the tree and made into coats Which are generally used by labourers. We notice that the mulberry trees are not being Toft behind by the strawberries; the fruit both are showing colour. We had a nice "fat tyre" on Hungjao road today, and while sitting by the roadside we identified several weeds and wild flowers. Only two of these were attractive, these were Duchesnea indica and Geranium maculatum. The first-named wild strawberry has very highly-coloured fruits while the last named rane' bil looks quite nice in a group. The swine cress Corowopus didymus has attractive foliage and a place may be found for this in a wild corner of the garden. Plenty of the common sow thistle Souchus oleraceus was
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.