May 27.—We saw a smoke tree in a local garden a few days ago: it was literally covered. with a mass of feathery panicles which somewhat reminded us of small ostrich plumes. The tree is known botanically as Cotinus americanns, an American species which may be found in some trade lists under Rhus cotinotdes. We have not previously seen the tree growing in Shanghai: "the one we saw may be the only specimen. It is such a healthy tree that local conditions must be sullable for it and we pro-Sese to try to got some cuttings next September. As a lawn Specimen it is hard to beat. The summer-flowering spirea, Spiraea japonica, is beginning to flower. This dwarf shrub, a native to China end Japan, has flat corymbs of rosy-red flowers and it differs from the spireas previously recorded in these notes in-so-much as it is Qowering on stems produced this year: the other spireas flower on stems produced the previous year, This habit of the plant renders it necessary for us to prune in early Spring, whereas the Spring flowering species are not pruned until the flowering season is over. We notice that the local "Bermuda" grass is in flower on our lawns. This is often referred to, in error, as the bamboo grass; but it is easily identified by its four spikelets of flowers attached to the flowering stem. The true bamboo grass has one spike only. Cynodon dactylon, as the Bermuda grass is known to botanists, is a most useful lawn grass: its fine leaves. being very suitable for special areas such as bowling greens, and as it will stand close "shaving" dur= ing the Summer on well drained land, it is much used for planting on local greens. It, derives its name from the Greek kuan, a dog, and dons, a tooth—wanx.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.