811 



Triticum sp . (Poaceae.) 39227. Seeds of wheat from 

 Bombay, India. Presented by Mr. Henry D. Baker, American 

 Consul, who secured it from Mr. Prank Harrison, Bombay. 

 "This wheat grows wild in Kathiawar, a very dry tract on 

 the west coast of India, north of Bombay. It is said all 

 wheats in existence can be traced back to this stock and 

 that it spreads from India westward via Chaldia (Mesopo- 

 tamia) and Egypt, thousands of years ago. Natives who eat 

 this wheat, declare it is more palatable and has a better 

 food value than any of the modern varieties grown in 

 India. It has great drought resisting properties and 

 should do well in the arid tracts of the southern states 

 of America. Natives collect this wheat in the jungle, and 

 separate it from the stray/ by treading, i.e., cattle are 

 made to walk over it in a circle until the grain is sepa- 

 rated from the straw. They then pass the grain through 

 hand querns (mills) in order bo get rid of the chaff or 

 husk, which is very thick." (Harrison.) 



NOTES FROM CORRESPONDENTS ABROAD. 



Straits Settlements. Singapore. Mr. I. H. Burkill, 

 Director of the Botanic Garden, writes October 6 in reply 

 to our request for information concerning his new method 

 of shipping mangosteen seeds: "I may tell you that I have 

 young plants growing now from mangosteen seed which were 

 sent by parcel post to New York and returned through the 

 Dead Letter Office. So I see no reason why we should not 

 get live seed to you. " The method according to the Gar- 

 deners ' Chronicle, consisted first in washing the seeds 

 with a weak carbolic acid solution, and then packing them 

 in moist charcoal previously sterilized with carbolic 

 acid. Seeds of mangosteen treated thus germinated well 

 after a journey extending over 3 months. 



China, Lanchowfu. Mr. Frank N. Meyer writes Dec. 10, 

 1914. "At last I have arrived here in the provincial 

 capital of Kansu and I feel like an old-time sailing ship 

 that has come into port, loaded full with all sorts of 

 things. But the ship has weathered some storms and it is 

 with the loss of the main sail that it is berthed here 

 now. For, and this is a bad thing indeed, my interpreter 

 .and the coolie have deserted me cowardly in Siku, for fear 

 of being killed by Tibetans! 



My Dutch assistant, however, has- stuck faithfully to 

 me, which is a fine thing, for without him I would not 

 have known what- to do, as he is- much better able to deal 

 with these rough Kansu people than I am myself and under- 

 stands the dialects so much- better than I do. 



