APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1916. 7 



Mr. J. Burtt Davy, who has sent in many valuable things from 

 South Africa, submits for trial the seeds of what he believes is a new 

 annual hay grass for wettish lands in the maize belt of the South, 

 especially for alluvial deposits where water is apt to stand during 

 rains. Animals, he reports, are extremely fond of this Panicum 

 laevifolium (No. 42608). 



The so-called algaroba of Hawaii, introduced by padres into the 

 islands, has been such a valuable forage tree that the Philippine 

 aroma, Prosopis vidallana (No. 42807), which resembles and has 

 until recently been confused with it, merits attention. It is quite 

 distinct, however, having no sweet arillus in the pod; and since it 

 spreads along the sandy coast region and up on the hillsides and is 

 relished by stock it deserves to be naturalized throughout the Tropics. 



The importance of vegetable oils has been emphasized by the war, 

 and it is evident that Americans have paid too little attention to the 

 South American wild palms, from the kernels of which excellent oils 

 are obtainable. The Corozo palm, Elaeis melanococca (No. 43001), 

 according to Curran, yields an excellent cooking oil and is found in 

 immense numbers on the flooded areas of Colombia, while the cultiva- 

 tion of the Cohune palm, Attalea cohune (No. 42707), according to 

 Consul Dyer, of Honduras, is capable of being developed into an 

 important industry there. 



Dr. L. Trabut, our collaborator, who has made so many valuable 

 suggestions that we listen to him with unusual interest, proposes 

 Saccharum hifoium (No. 42551), a grass of great size much used 

 in Algeria as a screen and in Sicily and on the banks of the Nile as 

 a sand binder, for trial in our Southwestern States. 



Besides the strictly economic plants, this inventory includes sev- 

 eral striking new ornamentals. S. P. I. Nos. 42435 to 42443 show 

 a collection of tree and shrub seeds from Dr. Fischer de Waldheira 

 and include a rare Turkestan maple, the oriental beech, a Turkestan 

 mountain cherry, a mountain almond, and the most decorative of all 

 the tamarisks. S. P. I. No. 42597, Oornus capitata, from the Hima- 

 layas, has bracts that are sulphur yellow instead of white in color, 

 like our dogwoods, and bears fruits 2 inches long and fleshy like a 

 strawberry. What might be done in the hybridization of our east- 

 ern and western species with this Himalayan dogwood! 



Actinidia arguta is such an indispensable porch vine and its foliage 

 is so universally free from disease that the larger leaved A. cdllosa 

 henry l (No. 42083) from central China deserves to be tried in com- 

 parison. 



M. Vilmorin's new hybrid clematis (N T o. kv>ss'), :1 result of cross- 

 ings between Wilson's Clematis montana rubens, one of the loveliest 

 of all climbers but tender, and C. chrysocoma, is said to be more vig- 

 orous and branching than the former, and it may be hardier. 



