Popenoe: The Work of E. O. Fenzi 



219 



Tropicali e Semitropicali,"- he joined 

 his nephew, Guido Corsini,^ in a trip of 

 reconnaissance to the recently ac- 

 quired colony of Libya. Shortly after- 

 wards he accepted an appointment as 

 head of an institution established by 

 the Italian Government to undertake 

 the introduction into Libya of new 

 agricultural and horticultural plants 

 and the de^'elopment of agriculture in 

 that colony. For several years he 

 held this post and then retired to carry 

 on the same work at his own expense. 

 He has accomplished much in the few 

 years which have passed since his 

 arrival in Tripoli. Several species of 

 Eucalyptus ha\'e been successfully 

 established, as well as numerous fruit 

 trees and vegetables. In his last 

 letter to us, dated August 29, 1922, he 

 reports excellent results with pistache 

 and carob trees budded last winter, 

 and asks for seeds and cuttings of a 

 number of plants which he desires to 

 test. Though now an old man in years, 

 his spirit is undaunted and his letters 

 show the same enthusiastic and active 

 interest in new plants which made his 

 presence in California an inspiration 

 to all who knew him there. 



Doctor Fenzi has the satisfaction of 

 knowing that California gardens will 

 be more beautiful for all time, and 

 California orchards will contain a 

 greater number of delicious fruits 

 because of his sojourn at Santa Bar- 

 bara. He also has the satisfaction of 

 knowing that he has left many friends 

 in this country — not alone in Califor- 

 nia — who appreciate his work and who 

 are deeply grateful for his untiring and 

 unselfish efforts to enrich the land of 

 his adoption. 



HIS PLANT INTRODUCTIONS 



Below are brief historical notes con- 

 cerning some of Doctor Fenzi's more 

 important introductions. I will not 

 attempt to mention all of the plants 



- Published by the Instituto Agricolo Coloniale at Florence, 1915. 



^ During the last years of Dr. Fenzi's work at Santa Barbara, Guido Corsini spent much 

 time with him, and became extremely popular in Santa Barbara. He was a young chap of excel- 

 lent breeding, and the most democratic manners imaginable. One of his Santa Barbara friends 

 visited Florence a few years ago, and was impelled to hunt up Guido. He was directed to a 

 marble palace, and when he inquired somewhat timidly at the door if Guido Corsini was at 

 home, a liveried servant replied, "No, the marquis is not in just now." 



wliich he had the honor of establishing 

 in California; there are too many of 

 them to be discussed here, and regard- 

 ing several there is some doubt as to 

 the exact time of their introduction. 

 The following notes are substantially 

 as given me by Doctor Fenzi in 1911, 

 and published in "The Florists' Ex- 

 change" for February 10, 1912: 



Lippia repens. — This remarkable 

 substitute for lawn grass will grow 

 on almost any soil, and requires very 

 little water. Originally secured in 1898 

 from the Boitanic Garden at Rome, it 

 has spread all over the southwestern 

 states and now covers thousands of 

 acres. It withstands extremes of tem- 

 perature, and is much used on sloping 

 ground to prevent erosion by the heavy 

 rains of winter. It is particularly 

 \'aluable because, unlike Bermuda and 

 several other grasses used for lawns, it 

 does not have underground rhizomes, 

 and is consequently easily extermi- 

 nated when desired. 



Feijoa sellowiana. — This promises to 

 become one of the most valuable of 

 Doctor Fenzi's numerous introduc- 

 tions. It was obtained from France in 

 1901, after having been established in 

 that country by Edouard Andre. The 

 Feijoa is a close relative of the guavas, 

 but considerably hardier than any of 

 them and of greater value. The fruits 

 are about the size of a hen's egg, green 

 in color, and of a most delicious pine- 

 apple flavor. 



Vitis capensis. — Some forty years 

 ago, when the phylloxera threatened 

 the vineyards of France with total 

 destruction, energetic efforts were inade 

 to procure from every country grapes 

 which might prove immune to this 

 disease. Much hope was placed on the 

 tuberous-rooted kinds from Africa, 

 among them Vitis capensis, occasion- 

 ally found in European botanic gar- 

 dens, where it had been known since 

 the end of the eighteenth century. In 



