16 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



23897 -Continued. 



••A beautiful Chilean tree, persistent leaves, produces a -mall pink fruit of the 

 Bize of a -mall olive; natives eal the fruil after boiling it. Very ornamental when 

 fruits are ripe. Requires we\ Boil, can stand frost, grows besl in valley protected 

 from wind, in forests." I Fingi r. I 



23899. CJvaria rufa (Dun.) Blume. 



From Pampanga, Philippine [slands. Presented by Mr. William S. Lyon, Gar- 

 dens of Nagtajan, Manila. P. I. Received October 20, l!)08. 



Small evergreen fruil tree,from Bea level up to 2,000 feet, lat. 10.1° S.to 16° N. 

 Fruit< oblong (5 cm. X 3 cm.) in grape-like clusters, H> t<> 30 berries. These are 

 edible and fairly palatable, [ntense vermilion red, making tree in fruit very attrac- 

 tive." (Lyon.) 



23900. Actixidia ARGUTA (S. & Z.) Planch. (?) 



From Marblehead, Mass. Received October 21, 1908. 



"From a 20-year-old vine on the place of Mr. Charles X. Parker, Marblehead, Mass. 

 This vine has borne fruit regularly since it was 8 to 9 years old, and I saw fruit on it. 

 There can be no doubt, therefore, that it is the female variety and a good bearer. The 

 fruit is of delicate flavor." (Fairchild.) 



23901. Cecropia peltata L. 



From Kingston, Jamaica. Presented by Mr. W. Harris, superintendent, Public 

 Gardens, Department of Agriculture, through Mr. P. J. Wester, Subtropical 

 Garden, Miami, Fla. Received October 23, 1908. 



"A variety of the urticaceous quick-growing Cecropias with edible, not very w r ell- 

 flavored fruits; available as a shade tree, abundant in the warmer valleys and rain- 

 forests of Mexico. Introduced for testing at the Subtropical Garden, Miami, Fla." 

 I ( 'h.isolm.) 



23902. Medic ago sativa L. Alfalfa. 



From Peru. Presented by Mr. T. F. Sedgwick, Lima, Peru, for Mr. C. V. Piper. 

 Received October 6, 1908. 



San Pedro. 



23913. Pixus dexsiflora Sieb. & Zucc. Pine. 



From near Tungling, Chihli, China. Received through Mr. Frank X. Meyer, 

 agricultural explorer, summer of 1908. 

 "(No. 1172a, Nov. 29-08.) This pine grows all over northern China and seems to 

 vary a great deal . " ( Meyer . ) 



23914. Nicotiana tomextosa Ruiz. & Pav. 



From Erfurt, Germany. Purchased from Messrs. Haage & Schmidt, at the re- 

 quest of Mr. A. D. Shamel. Received October 26, 1908. 

 "I know very little about this species, but it was purchased at Mr. George W. Oliver's 

 suggestion in connection with our work in hybridizing tobacco.- It is a very large 

 species, with large leaves and tall stem. At present it is mainly of scientific interest, 

 but on account of its leaf size would probably be valuable as a parent for a composite 

 cross in regions where the yield of tobacco is the main consideration." (/. B. Norton.) 

 1 53 



