APRIL i TO JUNE 30, 1914. 9 



which produces from four to six large, fleshy, edible inflorescences, 

 beginning with the third or fourth year. These inflorescences, or 

 pa cay as, are about the size of ears of sweet corn and when cooked 

 make a delicate salad. It is believed that the species will grow in 

 southern Florida. 



FRUITS. 



A remarkable number of new fruits and interesting varieties of 

 our staple fruits are represented. Mr. Meyer has added to the 

 list of those already introduced 24 new varieties of oriental persim- 

 mon, among these being 11 from Tongjapu (Nos. 37048 to 37658), 

 including an especially valuable variety for drying purposes, which is 

 used to make a dried-fruit product comparable to the dried fig; an 

 improved variety of the Diospyros lotus L. (No. 37811) used for 

 stocks in the orchards established on the loess table-lands, wdiere they 

 nre subjected to an unusual amount of drought and alkali; five new 

 forms of persimmon from Shensi Province (Nos. 37661 to 37665) ; 

 the salt-bag persimmon and the honey-pot persimmon (Nos. 37672 

 9nd 37678), the latter no larger than a cherry, a prolific bearer, and 

 very showy when loaded with fruit; five varieties from Shantung 

 (Nos. 37948 to 37952), one of which is eaten pickled in brine. A 

 staminate variety (No. 38482) has been found in Bermuda by Mr. 

 Peter Bisset, which ought to be valuable as a pollenizer. 



The importance of finding a blight-proof pear has induced Mr. 

 Meyer to continue his search for a better flavored melting Chinese 

 pear, and he has sent in from Shensi, Honan, and Shantung 15 

 varieties of more or less promise for breeding purposes (Nos. 

 38240 to 38242, 38262 to 38271, 38277, and 38278) ; and Rev. Hugh 

 W. White has sent the Tangshan pear (No. 37982), the only pear he 

 has seen that does not have a woody taste, but is sweet and juicy. 



An ancient apricot variety (No. 3774*4), from the Dakhleh Oasis 

 of Egypt, sent in by Prof. S. C. Mason during his expedition to 

 Egypt and the Sudan in search of date varieties, may prove of value 

 in our own desert region, since it is able to withstand an annual 

 temperature of 75° and monthly means as high as 90° F. 



The growing importance of the Chinese jujube as a fruit for the 

 Middle West is emphasized by the receipt from Mr. Meyer of 14 

 Jarge-fruited varieties (Nos. 38243 to 38247, 38249 to 38253, and 

 38258 to 38201), some with fruits as large as or larger than ordinary 

 hens' eggs, being more like small pears. They can be eaten fresh, 

 stewed with rice, baked, preserved with honey, sugar, etc., and Mr. 

 Meyer reports in the neighborhood of Paihsiangchen an increasing 

 area, which already amounts to several thousand acres, almost entirely 

 given over to jujube culture. 



