2 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



H. R. Wright, of Auckland, Xew Zealand, to whom the department 

 is indebted for many valuable collections of new fruit varieties, has 

 sent his ''Sunrise"' (No. 55740), a very early. variety of peach, and 

 "Watts Early" (No. 55741), a peach worth testing in Florida be- 

 cause of the unusually short resting period which it requires. He 

 also sent the Groverly Xavel orange {Citrus sinensis; Xo. 55743), 

 which is reported to be a large-sized variety with a habit for crop- 

 ping which should make it worth a trial both in California and 

 Florida. 



G. Weidman Groff, of the Canton Christian College, has sent 

 from South China a collection of trees, including the mu-oil tree 

 {Aleurites montama; Nos. 55647 to 55650), some varieties of persim- 

 mon {Diospyros l-aki; Nos. 55659 and 55660), an undetermined 

 species of Diospyros (No. 55662), an interesting rare ornamental 

 {Millettict di-elsiana; No. 55663), two A'arieties of the carambola 

 (Averrhoa carambola; Nos. 55651 and 55652), a fruit tree recently 

 attracting attention in southern Florida, and a large promising 

 ornamental ti'ee from the Five Finger Mountains {Xageia cupres- 

 sitia; No. 55664). 



F. A. McClure, also of the Canton Christian College, secured for 

 the department during his recent exploration of the island of Hainan, 

 oli' the coast of South China, several interesting plants (Nos. 55626 

 to 55632) and from Lokong in Kwantung seeds of 13 named varie- 

 ties of Prunus inutne (Nos. 55633 to 55645), from Avhich some valu- 

 able strains of this lovely flowering tree may originate in this 

 country. 



Prof. C. S. Sargent, of the Arnold Arboretum, has favored the 

 department with material from a new hardy Chinese shrub (Prin-se- 

 pia sinethsis; No. 55711) whose yellow flowers appear very early in 

 the spring and entitle it to a place in every North Atlantic garden, 

 even should its fruits not meet with an enthusiastic reception in 

 America. The genus with its several species is worthy of the at- 

 tention of American horticulturists. 



The success which attended the introduction through this office 

 many years ago of the hairy Peruvian alfalfa is a matter of history. 

 Crops of it worth several million dollars are grown every year in 

 southern California. Growers will watch with interest the intro- 

 duction now of the so-called San Pedrana variety [Medicago sativa; 

 No. 55724) from Peru which, according to Mr. Dunn, is cut every 45 

 days. 



Although it is yet too soon to predict the ultimate fate of the low- 

 land Guatemalan anona in southern Florida, its growth there has 

 been so satisfactory that a large quantity of seed of this species 

 (Arniona diversifolia; No. 55709) has been imported from Tapa- 

 chula. 



The so-called subterranean clover of Australia {J'rifolium sub- 

 terraneum; No. 55707). which was introduced several years ago, 

 lias shown so much promise in the Southern States that a second 

 importation of seeds has been necessary. 



A beautiful Australian shade tree, Vitex littoralis, grew 30 fe^t 

 tall at Del Monte, Calif., years ago, but was cut down by a tempera- 

 ture of 17° F. A New Zealand species of this same genus (F. lu-cens; 

 No. 55620) may prove hardier than its relative. 



