788 



is clothed with loose, cracked papyraceous bark and the 

 branches are straight, rigid, singularly angled and winged 

 with vertical alae , which are sinuate and downy or fringed 

 at the edge." (Curtis 's Botanical Magazine, no. 4827.) 



Gleditsia sinensis . (Caesalpiniaceae . ) 38800-802. Seeds 

 of three varieties of Chinese soap-bean. "These Chinese 

 Gleditsias often grow to a very large size, becoming quite 

 old and at times making beautiful, well rounded heads of 

 dense branches and foliage. The conspicuous pods persist 

 on the trees all through the winter. They are marvelously 

 drought resistant and do not object to a certain amount of 

 alkali. Recommended as an ornamental park and shade tree 

 for the mild-wintered, semi-arid sections of the United 

 States. The Chinese find use for the pods, when sliced 

 up, as a substitute for soap for washing their hair and 

 certain fabrics. Chinese name 'Tsao chio.' The young 

 trees often have their trunks covered with big spines 

 which often have totally disappeared when the trees are 

 old," (Meyer's introductions.) 



Hordeum sp . (Poaceae.) 38885. Seed of barley from 

 Esperanza, Sonora, Mexico. Presented bv Mr. W. W. Mackie, 

 Director Yaqui Valley Experiment Station. "White Turkestan 

 barley gathered in Merv, Transcaspia, in 1911. These 

 seeds came from selections out of three years of crops 

 during which time I have had them under observation. The 

 Wahl-Henius Institute of Fermentology , to which a quantity 

 of the seed was sent report as follows: 'The barley it- 

 self is of the 6-rowed nutans type and has a marked flesh- 

 colored aleurone layer, such as is characteristic of bar- 

 leys of Asiatic origin, in fact, the flesh colored appear- 

 ance is more pronounced than we have ever noticed in any 

 similar barley before. This barley really is strange to 

 us. It is Irregular in size and form, and has a very low 

 albumen content 1 (due no doubt to the skinning off of the 

 germ or embryo by too close threshing). 'The taste and 

 flavor are remarkably agreeable. If any of this barley is 

 malted, we should be pleased to receive a five-pound sample 

 of the malt. If this barley could possibly be grown on a 

 rich nitrogenous soil, so that the albumen content could 

 be increased to about 13$, it, in our opinion, would be by 

 far the best barley for malting purposes among the ten 

 samples you sent.' Our field tests show this barley to be 

 very vigorous and hardy with splendid germination. In 

 height it is about 20 to 30% shorter than the common Cali- 

 fornia 6-rowed barley but produces thicker and longer 

 heads. It is nearly three weeks earlier in maturing, in 

 other words it is a quick growing variety. On account of 

 its propensity to rust I would advise that it be planted 

 inland away from the influence of the sea coast and fogs. 



