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and remained healthy for 4 months, whereas those not 

 so infected turned yellowish white and died in 3 or 4 

 weeks. The plants from unsterilized seeds produced 

 leaves bearing many more bacterial nodules than did 

 those from sterilized seeds which were later artifi-. 

 dally inoculated. In view of the fact that these ru- 

 biaceous plants with bacterial nodule-bearing leaves 

 occur in many parts of the tropics and that in India, 

 at least, the value of their leaves for manure has long 

 been recognized, and considering the value of nitro- 

 gen-fixing legumes as fertilizers, the suggestion of 

 Paber that we may have in these tropical trees and 

 shrubs, plants of positive agricultural value for the 

 tropical planter is well worthy of consideration. The 

 value of the mulch formed by the leaves of leguminous 

 and other plants is keenly appreciated by the best 

 cultivators; and it may be possible to find suitable 

 small shrubs of Pavetta and other rubiaceous plants 

 which will be worth while growing for their nitrogen- 

 fixing leaf -bacteria in the orchards of our semitrop- 

 ics or wherever else the climate will permit of their 

 cultivation." (David Fairchild.) 



Pogonopus speciosus (Rubiaceae), From Guatemala. 

 Collected by Mr. Wilson Popenoe, Agricultural Explorer 

 for this Department. "(No. 191. Finca Chejel, Baja 

 Verapaz, Guatemala. October 15, 1917.) A handsome 

 flowering shrub from the valley of the Rio Polochio, 

 near Tucuru, Alta Verapaz. The brilliant scarlet 

 bracts make the plant a striking object among the veg- 

 etation along the slopes of the valley, suggesting the 

 poinsettia in color. The plant is bushy ' in habit, 

 reaching 15 feet in height, the leaves broadly lance- 

 olate, acuminate, 3 to 5 inches long, with margins en- 

 tire. The flowers are tubular, about 1 inch long, 

 produced in corymbs 2 to 4 inches broad. Many of the 

 flowers are subtended by ovate-acute bracts, 1 to If 

 inches in length, and of brilliant crimson-scarlet 

 color. This species should be tested as an ornamental 

 shrub in Florida and Calif ornia. " (Popenoe .) 



Primus mume (Amygdalaceae) , 45523. Japanese apricot. 



From Yokohama, Japan. Purchased from the Yokohama Nur- 

 sery Company. A tree with somewhat the appearance of 

 the common apricot, but the bark is greenish or gray, 

 and the foliage is duller in color. The leaves are 

 relatively small, long-pointed, lighter colored be- 

 neath, and the fragrant flowers are sessile or nearly 



