The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-10-26
u and Japanese Products.

efforts TO cultivate more intimate relations with
tine Government and people of japan. To this
end. a treaty has been framed, which, it is hoped,
will lay the basis of commercial intercourse.
Although we have no faith that a market will be
opened for our sugars in Il country 80 near to the
great sugar-producing land of China. and where
the best China sugar is sold for five TO six cents
per pound, yet a trade may spring up in other
articles, which may Yet be of mutual benefit.
This Government is fortunately represented at
hanagawa, by 4 gentleman of talent, refinement
and taste, who has taken a most lively interest in
the affairs Of both nations. We refer TO Mr..
EUGENE VAN RRED, who, il will be remembered,
visited Honolulu in the spring of 1866, and who
while here made Il most favorable impression on
all with whom he had intercourse. Since his
return to Japan, he has made several efforts to
effect an interchange Of the seeds, plants and
trees of the two countries. To this end, he sent
III 1850, at his own expense, n large collection of
japanese lily bulbs for distribution, but unfor-
tunately they were consigned to the care of the
President of the Agricultural Society, and are
supposed to have served to ornament his private
gardens, as nothing has ever been heard of them
since.
The fine ship Minnehaha arrived at this port
on the Dist, from Yokohama direct, and the OPP
portunity afforded by her departure was en-
braced by our Consul-General, Mr.. Van Reed, to
send another and larger collection of Japanese
seeds, bulbs, plants and birds, which have been
consigned to the care of Mr.. j.. a. Hassinger,
who has been instructed to dispose of them ac-
cording to directions. Owing to the short pass
age of the ship and the special care taken of the
birds and plan.s hy Cant RurSlcy and n Iapap-
csc attendant Of Mr.. Van Reed, all the plants and
a part of the birds have arrived in the finest con-
dition; indeed, they could hardly have reached
here IN better order from San Francisco. We
have been favored with n letter from Mr.. Van r.,
relating to these articles, which we consider of 50
general interest that we copy such portions of it
as refer to them
KANAGAwA, JAPAN, Sept. Is, 1867.
. | considered the opportunity so
valuable to supply the Islands with plants, seeds and
birds direct from this country, that l decided sending
my Japanese assistant 10 look out for their safety on
the voyage. L send an excellent selection of plants,
including tea seed, tea plants, rape seed, which makes
excellent OF. for the Japanese, and is worth here - 90
per plcul some camilla seed; camilla plants ready
To blossom ; orange trees some lily bulbs, n large
variety and what / consider paramount to all is the
variety OF mulberry plants, still having faith III the
idea that you viii raise silk-worm eggs, cocoons, etc.,
for expectation. Of tea seed, a quantity is sent; and
why should you not raise tea of as excellent quality
as the japanese. Here you may now try your luck
with the best Of trees and seeds seat
L also send u variety of pine. thriving well, and
about l 900 trees of about Is inches in height. They
will do well, and l would advise that they be planted
on the roadside, so as to form in time an .4iame1q-
something like the road between Santa Clara and San
Jose in California, aud give you an idea of our To-
kaido here, u road leading through the Empire,
shaded on both sides by these trees, whose tops almost
join from either side, forming a shaded passage for
man and beast.
In the variety sent will be found the japanese per-
simmon, a most delicious fruit, unlike anything you
have tasted, and highly appreciated here. The vari-
ETY. sent is the best, called miuno kake.
OF the birds sent, L intend for the Society, l cock
and 2 hens, golden pheasant ; l cock and = hens, sill
YER pheasant i cock and = hens, mandarin ducks.
In charge of my messenger L send you a small box of
japanese tea, a quality which does not leave Japan,
owing 10 its excellence.
The presents l send the Society 1 hope may prove
acceptable.-not knowing exactly what would be
most appreciated but tea, camilla seed, mulberry
trees, rape seed, pheasaHts and ducks, | hope may
not be amiss, and help to introduce for the benefit of
the Islanders. . .
Sincerely yours, VAN REED.
The collection, as put on board at Yokohama,
embraced golden pheasants, three cocks and
four hens silver pheasants, three cocks and four
hens ducks, three cocks and four hens bantam
and hairy fowls, a variety of each GOO pine
trees 1850 lily bulbs, assorted varieties 100
mulberry trees; G5 tea plants; camilla seeds and
plants orange trees tea seed rape seed and a
variety of other choice flowers and plants not
enumerated. The whole comprises some thirty
or forty cases, and is the most valuable if not the
largest collection ever imported.
1t will be seen from Mr.. Van Reeds letter.
that n part of this very fine and large collection
are intended for the Agricultural Society but
really we believe that what is given to that body
will be so much thrown away. As considerable
expense has attended the collecting and ~importa-
ton, we would suggest that the entire collection
be disposed of at public auction in lots, so that
those who want them most and are willing to pay
for them, can obtain them.
Some of the lilies, of which there are twenty
or thirty varieties, are very choice, and are said to
be unsurpassed in beauty by those of any other
country. Here is a description of one sent to
Philadelphia recently, the account of which We
clip from the Philadelphia American
4 WONDERFUL FLowER.-At the Horticultural
Exhibition on Tuesday night, was shown a single
specimen of the japanese lily. All adults will re-
member in their boyhood the flaming tiger lily "
that ornamented the country gardens. This grand
flower is the tiger lily upon a scale of triple magni-
tude, but with an equal hue, in which n delicate
~solferino at the base is lost in snowy white. The
calix itself is fully nine inches in diameter; the
petals are delicately spotted with black ; the pistils
are upholsterers' hammer in miniature. The odor
of the flower is most exquisite. 1t has all the volume
of that emanating from the tuberUse, with all the
delcacy of the primrose or violet To the flora of
any country it is a most valuable addition. 1t can
not too soon be introduced into every garden. Hor-
ticultural Hall is by no means small, yet the perfume
from this single blossom pervadcd every part of it.
Excepting only the blossom of the Victoria Regia, it
is the largest flower We have yet seen.
If any of these choice flowers are in the collec- 4
ton, they will be a prize worth obtaining, and
care should be taken with all the bulbs, so that
NOR Ia LIT Lrnr,rh nnnlirnnnn /