926 



indicate that it may be adapted to acid soils, which would 

 be a distinct advantage in some parts of the United 

 States." (Cook.) 



Pennisetum longistylum Hochst. (Poaceae.) 41055. 

 tings of Kikuyu grass from Pretoria, Union of South Africa. 

 Presented by Mr. I. B. Pole Evans. Chief, Division of Bot- 

 any. "We originally obtained this grass from British East 

 Africa, and it, so far as our experience goes, would ap- 

 pear to be one of the most promising grasses that we have 

 in this country. So far, although the grass has been un- 

 der cultivation at our Botanical Station for the past 4 

 years, it has shown no signs of forming seed and it was 

 only last summer that it flowered and enabled us to have 

 it determined botanically. The grass has a creeping habit 

 and cattle are passionately fond of it; it also makes a 

 nice hay grass." (Pole-Evans.) 



Pimento, officinalis Lindley . (Myrtaceae . ) 41134. Seeds of 

 allspice from Kingston, Jamaica. Presented by Mr. W. Har- 

 ris, Superintendent, Hope Gardens. "A small tree with 

 smooth, white bark, 25 to 30 feet high, native of the West 

 Indies and Central America. The dried unripe berries, 

 which are the size of small peas, are the Allspice or Pi- 

 mento -of commerce. The name 'all-spice' is due to a sup- 

 posed resemblence of the spice to a combination of the 

 odour and flavour of cinnamon, nutmegs and cloves. The tree 

 has been introduced into Ceylon over a century ago, and 

 established at Peradeniya, where it flowers in the dry 

 weather and occasionally sets a few fruits,but outside the 

 Botanic Gardens it is rarely met with in this country. It 

 is considered to yield best in a hot and rather dry cli- 

 mate, and prefers a loose loamy or alluvial, well-drained 

 soil. In Jamaica the berries are picked by hand while 

 green, but just ripe, and are then dried in the sun, the 

 latter process taking six to ten days. The fruits are 

 known to be sufficiently dry when the seeds rattle on shak- 

 ing and are of a dark colour. A crop cannot be expected 

 within six or seven years from the time of planting, and 

 when in full bearing a tree will yield a hundredweight of 

 dried spice. Jamaica is the only country that exports this 

 spice, which is sold at present in England at about 2d. to 

 3d. per pound." (MacMillan, Handbook of Tropical Gardening 

 and Planting. ) 



Polakowskia tacaco Pittier. (Cucurbitaceae . ) 41141. 

 Fruits of tacaco from San Jose, Costa Rica. Presented by 

 Mr. J. E. Van der Laat .Director , Department of Agriculture, 

 through Dr. Carlos Werckle. "The tacaco is not of perish- 

 able nature, as the chayote; it has a hard skin, when ripe, 

 and keeps in perfect condition for weeks; at last it shriv- 

 els and in this state it is planted. The fruits for plant- 



