DECEMBER, 'l!)0:i, TO DECEMBER, 1905. 149 



iiiir. In pome orcliards tlu' cuttinjis aiv irrigated only a sinuir tinu', ivcciyiiig alxmt 

 () [ralloiisi'arli. Kxtraoidinarv piccaiitioiis are taken to preserve the t*>)ii nioisline 

 ni^ir tile surface, the olive beinii a f^lialiuw-rootint; tree. Tlie trees are phxnted from 

 t)5 to 80 feetapartea(liwav,t lie wider |.lantinLr;rivin<,' seven trees per acre. Tlietrnuind 

 betwi-en is kept entirelv clean, not even grain croi.s beiriggrown after the tree bi-gnis 

 to bear. The surface "of the soil is always kept in a well-pulverized condition to 

 reduce evaporation. Three or four plowings a year are given, and as many cultiva- 

 tions as are nece.<sarv to keep out weeds. Manuring is jiractised only to a very lim- 

 ited extent. The orchards at Sfax are always created with pieces of wood from the 

 ba.«e of verv old trees, such as those sent you. The cuttings are generally set out in 

 the fall (l)ut sometimes in the spring) in the bottom of holes that are 2 feet deep 

 and 2 feet square. These are tilled up as the tree grows, until in about two years 

 they are entirelv tilled. It is often the practise to keep a shallow basin, inches or 

 so (ieei>, around' tlie base of the tree during the rainy season (winter), the diameter 

 of the basin beiiii: about e([ual to that of the spread of the foliage. In sunnner the 

 ground is plowed up to the l)ast's of the trees. The soil aroun<l Sfax is a reddish sandy 

 loam to a depth of 2 or 3 feet or more, below which hard pan is often encountered. 



"The trees are pruned during the harvest every other year, beginning when 3 

 years old. The average vields obtained at Sfax from trees respectively 10, 15, 20, 

 and 25 vears old appear to' be about 2, (>, 10, and V2\ quarts of oil per tree. In good 

 vears twice as much is obtained. The i)ercentage of oil in the fruit, as \vell as the 

 quantity of fruit produced, increases rapidly as the tree grows older." {Kearney. ) 



13568. MusA SAPiENTUM. Banana. 



From Gabes, Tunis, North Africa. Received thru Mr. T. H. Kearney, April 20, 

 1905. 



13569. PiSTACiA VERA. Pistaclie. 



From Caltanisetta, Sicily. Received thru j\Ir. T. 11. Kearney, from Signor 

 Deleo, April 20, 1904. 



TrdliondUi. 



13570. Zea mays. Sweet corn. 

 From Riverside Farm, Nashua, N. 11. Receive<l April 17, 1905. 



Crosby. Said to be the result of eighteen years' selection. 



13571. Nephelium lappaceum. Rambutan. 



From Buitenzorg, Java. Received thru Doctor Treub, April 22, 1905. 



Native of south India and Malay Islands, and furnishes a fruit similar to the Litchi, 

 namely, tlie Rambutan or Ramboostan fruit. All species of Nephelium seem to 

 require rather a moist, mild, forest clime than great atmospheric heat. 



The fruit is of a bright-red color, about 2 inches long, of an oval form, and slightly 

 flattened, and covered with long, soft, fleshy spines or thick hairs. Like the other 

 Nephehums it contains a pleasant acidulous pulp very grateful m tropical countries. 



13572. (iARCixiA mangostana. Mangosteen. 



From Buitenzorg, Java. Received thru Doctor Treub, April 17, 1905. 



13573. JuGLANS regia. Persian walnut. 



From Kashgar, eastern Turkestan, Asia. Presented by Rev. P. J. 1*. llendriks. 

 Receiveil April 11, 1905. 



13574. Glycyrrhiza glabra. Licorice. 



From London, England. Received thru Messrs. Barr & Sons, April 17, 1905. 



13575. Althaea rosea. HoUyhock. 

 From New York, N. Y. Received from Henry & Lee, importers, March, 1905. 



Japanese. 

 97 



