857 



priced vegetables cultivated in Japan, the young shoots 

 being used as an excellent salad. The little book by Pro- 

 fessor Tanaka, Useful Plants of Japan, issued by the Agri- 

 cultural Society of Japan, says concerning it: "Mitsuba, 

 Mitsuba-jeri, a perennial herb of the order Umbelliferae 

 growing wild in moist valleys, but much cultivated from 

 seeds or by dividing the roots. In spring young leaves 

 come forth to a height of about one foot. They are eaten 

 boiled, and the roots can also be eaten fried. One vari- 

 ety with fine thread-like petioles and shooting bushes to 

 8-10 inches high is called Ito-mitsuba (thread honewo t . )" 

 Apparently worthy of trial by American amateurs. 



Diospyros Icaki L.'f. (Ebenaceae.) 39912-913. Cuttings of 

 persimmons from Kansu, China. 39912, "from near Kwa tsa, 

 a remarkably large and beautiful persimmon of very flat 

 shape and bearing some furrows on top. Color bright deep 

 orange; seedless, non- juicy, of excellent keeping quali- 

 ties; can be eaten fresh or dried; not free from pucker. 

 Quite a rare variety. Local name Momo sze tze, meaning 

 'loaf of bread persimmon,' though many different forms 

 pass under that name;" and 39913, "a persimmon of square 

 shape, bearing generally a constriction close to the pe- 

 duncle, also often furrowed vertically. Of light orange 

 color, seedless; non-juicy; a very good keeper but of as- 

 tringent properties when eaten fresh, therefore consumed 

 when roasted or steamed, by which processes the pucker dis- 

 appears for the greater part; also much eaten dried. Chi- 

 nese name Fang sze tze, meaning 'square persimmon.'" (Frank 

 N. Meyer's introductions and description.) 



Eiwnymus sp. (Celastraceae . ) 39903. Cuttings from near 

 Ka go ba, Kansu, China. "A spindle wood, growing into a 

 medium-sized tree with a dense, well rounded head of 

 branches. Leaves round elliptical, of opaque green color 

 and somewhat wrinkled. Collected at an elevation of 8000 

 feet. Of value as an ornamental park tree for the cooler 

 sections of the United States." (Frank N. Meyer's intro- 

 duction and description.) 



Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia Mueller . (Proteaceae. ) 39871. 

 Seeds from Burringbar P. 0., New South Wales. Presented 

 by Mr. B. Harrison. "Red bush nuts. This tree grows to a 

 height of 30 or 40 feet and the fruit is borne in racemes, 

 attached to the bark and branches of the tree, each carry- 

 ing 10 or 12 fruits. The flavor is not quite so good as 

 the Queensland nut, Macadamia temifolia, nor does it keep so 

 well, but nevertheless they are sold in some fruit shops 



