8 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



the three selected strains of Norwegian clover, the Molstad, Toten, and 

 Hvinden's, from Roikenvik (Nos. 27600, 27601, and 27602). Fiber ex- 

 perts in Porto Rico, the Philippines, and Hawaii should have their atten- 

 tion called to the Furcraea, from Costa Rica (No. 27777), which is 9aid to 

 have a fiber that is whiter than sisal and is considered of enough 

 importance to be planted on a large scale in Central America. The 

 growing use, especially on the Pacific coast, of the winter muskmelon, 

 or cassaba, makes the introduction of a series of these winter-ripening 

 melons (Nos. 27779-27788) from the Greek islands of Zante and 

 Cephalonia of interest to the melon growers of the Southwest. 

 Although maraschino as a liqueur is well known to Americans, the 

 cherry from which it is made, which is grown on a few small islands in 

 the Adriatic, seems with this introduction to be brought for the first 

 time into America (No. 27791). To those in the Philippines, Hawaii, 

 and Porto Rico who are engaged in the cultivation of rubber trees the 

 introduction of the Sapium jenmani of Demerara (No. 27873), from 

 which one of the highest priced rubbers in the world is obtained, can 

 not fail to be of interest. The paint manufacturers, it is learned, 

 import large quantities of euphorbium rosin from Morocco for use 

 in the manufacture of rustless coatings for steel structures, and the 

 introduction of the seed of the euphorbiaceous plant (No. 27955) from 

 the mountain slopes of that country may lead to the creation of a 

 home supply of this material. Seeds have been obtained of the nan 

 mu tree of the Yangtze Valley (No. 28128), which furnishes the most 

 famous of Chinese woods, used in the building of the imperial palaces. 

 As this tree is said to be in danger of extinction and as it will probably 

 grow in our Southern States, the introduction of seeds of it at this 

 time is of special importance. Since the introduction in 1853, from 

 France, of the Chinese sorgo, there seems to have been no reintroduc- 

 tion of that particular strain until this year, when seed of this identical 

 variety (No. 28024) was obtained by correspondence from Tsungming 

 Island, at the mouth of the Yangtze. 



Guava cultivation in Florida and Porto Rico for the production of 

 guava jelly has reached a stage when the introduction of a close 

 relative of the guava from Para (Britoa acida, No. 28061) will interest 

 a considerable number of people because of its acid fruits. The call 

 on the part of the California growers who supply table grapes to the 

 eastern market for varieties that will better withstand shipment has 

 become insistent and special efforts are being made to meet the 

 demand. A collection of 13 varieties of table grapes from Servia is of 

 interest in this connection (Nos. 27685-27697). For those breeders of 

 the oriental and American persimmon who believe that the cultivation 

 of this fruit plant can be developed into a great orchard industry, a 

 search is being made after all the species of Diospyros which it is 



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