38 SEEDS AND PLAINTS IMPOETED, 



Pyrus convmums. This varietj' is a large, vigorous grower. It early begins the 

 formation of short, spurlike branches, which spread horizontally, with few of 

 the upright ranli shoots customary to Kieffer and other hybrids. The fruit is 

 small, not much larger than Seckel. It is moderately late, ripening only a 

 little ahead of Kieffer, and is of poor quality. The variety bears profusely, 

 however. Dr. Whitten says that he does not remember having seen a trace of 

 blight in any of the Surprise trees on his grounds, though they are growing in 

 a pear orchard in which numerous susceptible varieties have died out entirely 

 from blight and other varieties have blighted more or less every, year." (B. T. 

 Galloway.) 



45902. Arundinaria falcata Nees. Poaceae. Bamboo. 



From Nice, France. Presented by Dr. A. Robertson Proschowsky. Re- 

 ceived March 12, 1918. 

 A slender bamboo growing to a height of 20 feet but not exceeding half an 

 inch in diameter, having the young stems covered with a bluish white waxy- 

 coating soon turning yellowish green. The light-green striate-veined leaves are 

 4 to 6 inches long by one-third of an inch wide, with downy sheaths. The 

 species is not very hardy, being a native of the lower slopes of the Himalayas 

 in northwestern India. (Adapted from Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horti- 

 culture, vol. 1, p. H8.) 



Received as Arundinaria gracilis, which is now referred to A. falcata. 



45903. Zea mays L. Poacese. Corn. 



From Argentina. Purchased from H. H. Marini & Co., Buenos Aires, 

 through the American consul general. Received March 13, 1918. 



An amber-colored variety of corn, obtained for experimental tests. 



45904. Lagenaria axxgaris Serihge. Ciicurbitacese. Gourd. 



From Japan. Presented by Dr. L. H. Bailey, Ithaca, N. Y.,' who obtained 



them from Gov. H. Hiratsuka, Utsunomya, Japan. Received March 14, 



1918. 



" The largest gourd utensils I ever saw were at Utsunomya, Japan. I asked 



for seeds of them and have received a packet from Gov. H. Hiratsuka, of the 



prefecture. I am sending you some of these seeds, thinking that possibly you 



would like to have them grown at your Maryland or Florida stations, where 



the season will probably allow them to mature. Some of the gourds I saw in 



the market in Japan would hold, I should think, at least a peck." (Bailey.) 



45905 to 45912. 



From Venezuela and the West Indies. Collected by Mr. H. M. Curran, 

 Laurel, Md., during an exploring trip made by him in 1917. Received 

 March 14, 1918. Quoted notes by Mr. Curran unless otherwise noted. 



45905. Acacia sp. Mimosacese. 



" From La Vela de Coro, Venezuela. A shrub or small tree, with orna- 

 mental red or purple wood." 



45906. Acanthobhi2a actxleata (Liebm.) "Wendl. Phcenicacese. Palm. 

 "From Venezuela." 



" A palm with a trunk 6 to 9 feet tall and 4 to 6 inches in diameter, 

 armed with spiniform roots 3 to 4 inches in length. The leaves, forming 

 a dense crown, are fan shaped, green above and silvery below, and about 



