6 SEEDS AXD PLAISTTS IMPORTED. 



have been produced and prove to be delicious new creations, the 

 idea may not be fantastic that some one some day will bring hardi- 

 ness into this remarkable tropical fruit through crosses with our 

 hardy Asimina. Mr. Popenoe has discovered, in fact, a tropical 

 species of the Annona family (Sapranthus sp.. No. 46786) which 

 curiously resembles the Asimina in the shape of its fruits, but is 

 bright orange in color. This might bridge the gap between the 

 Annona and the Asimina. Acres of the tropical papaya {Carica 

 papaya) in southern Florida provide this fruit regularly to the 

 southern markets, and a new variety {Carica sp., Xo. 4:6782), with 

 an edible coating, or aril, around its seeds, can scarcely fail to be of 

 interest to the public, which is rajjidh^ growing fonder of this ap- 

 petizing fruit. Much remains yet to be done in the improvement 

 of this remarkable fruit tree. It is hard for one living in the Xorth 

 to realize the craving of one who lives in a region where the grape 

 does not grow for its peculiar refreshing flavor. Mr. Popenoe has 

 introduced another promising tropical grape called the totoloche 

 (Vitis sp., 46787), w^hich is related to the Muscadine and although 

 still in the wild state bears clusters of berries half an inch in 

 diameter. 



Mr. J. Burtt Davy, who has contributed many new plants from 

 South Africa, has sent in a collection (Nos. 46804 to 46820) which 

 includes a sand binder from the Cape flats (Acacia cyclops^ No. 

 46804) ; the kameel doom, a shade tree from British Bechuanaland 

 {Acacia giraffae^ No. 46805) ; a pasture grass {Eragrostis superba, 

 No. 46806) ; a hibiscus with deep-crimson flowers {Hlhiscus urens^ 

 No. 46807) ; a beautiful blue-and-white Lobelia {Lobelia erinus mi- 

 croclon^ No. 46808) ; the karree boom, a species of sumac which is 

 reported to resemble the pepper tree so much used in California 

 but to be hardier and even more ornamental in habit {Rhus vimina- 

 lis, No. 46810) ; and a collection of the best yielding wheats from the 

 western provinces of South Africa (Nos. 46812 to 46817). 



During his trip to Europe on war work, Dr. W. A. Taylor, Chief 

 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, visited the Plant Breeding Insti- 

 tute of Prof. Biffen, of Cambridge, England, and sent in seed of 

 the Yeoman wheat (No. 46797) which had been such a remarkable 

 yielder in England; a preliminary test gave 96 bushels per acre. 

 It is a cross between one of Prof. Biffen's varieties and the Red 

 Fife wheat of Canada and may prove suited to some of our own 

 wheat areas. 



The success of the Federation wheat (No. 46794) on the Pacific 

 coast has, I understand, been a matter of keen satisfaction to the 

 Australian friends of that remarkable plant breeder, Farrar, whose 

 work was so long in being recognized. 



