744 



it from that made from ordinary starch by the fact that it 

 keeps its clearness and shape much better no matter how 

 much it is boiled. It also has a better flavor and good 

 keeping qualities. Perhaps it might be an addition to the 

 laundry starches of America as I fancy it would take a 

 much better gloss as it is harder than ordinary starch and 

 would not need so much paraffin added to make a gloss. I 

 doubt if the American palate would care for the vermi- 

 celli, as it is clear like glass and the long strings are 

 most terribly slippery to eat, worse than the round Italian 

 spaghetti." (Kin.) For distribution later. 



Vigna sinensis. (Pabaceae.) 37104-110. Seeds of cow- 

 peas from Zaria, Northern Nigeria. Presented by Mr. K. T. 

 Rae, Department of Agriculture. Seven varieties of cow- 

 peas introduced for the work of the Office of Forage Crop 

 Investigations in bringing together the principal varie- 

 ties of cowpeas from all parts of Africa. For distri- 

 bution later. 



Zea -mays. (Poaceae.) 37219. Seeds of corn from 

 Puerto Bertoni, Paraguay. Presented by Dr. Moises S. 

 Bertoni. "Seeds of a new variety of Early Hard Maize, 

 communis minor. This is a new variety which we believe 

 will be of great interest in those countries in which the 

 early European maizes give good results with difficulty. 

 It is a new variety which we have obtained in this Agro- 

 nomic Station by hybridization and selection of various 

 species of hard and soft maizes of different degrees of 

 earliness. It is almost as early a ripener as the variety 

 Early Soft Maize, which serves as the base, and almost as 

 hard and good as the Hard Canary Maize with which it was 

 first crossed. It is notably hardy and drought resistant. 

 The plant is small and of good production." (Bertoni.) For 

 distribution later. 



NOTES FROM CORRESPONDENTS ABROAD. 



Mr. Frank N. Meyer writes from Tai an fu, Shantung, 

 China, March 29, 1914. "Yesterday I returned from a hur- 

 ried trip to Feitcheng, bringing back with me eight graft- 

 ed trees of the famous Fei peach and herewith I am sending 

 you via the American Consul-General at Shanghai, one of 

 these grafted trees and also a bundle of scions. Would 

 you kindly have them given the best of care. I have also 

 sent to Chico a similar shipment, through the American 

 Consul-General at Shanghai, and still have on hand the 

 other six trees which I will send from Tientsin by freight 

 to Chlco, together with another lot of bulky stuff. Then 

 also I am sending you, through the same channel a package 



