

1327 



Astragalus sinicus (Fabaceae), 45995. Genge clover. 



From Yokohama, Japan. Purchased from the Yokohama 

 Nursery Company. Late Giant variety. "Another field 

 crop very extensively grown for human food, and partly 

 as a source of soil nitrogen, is closely allied to our 

 alfalfa. Tender tips of the stem are gathered before 

 the stage of blossoming is reached and served as food 

 after boiling or steaming. It is known among the 

 foreigners as Chinese clover. The stems are also cooked 

 and then dried for use when the crop is out of sea- 

 son. For the tender shoots, when picked very young, 

 wealthy Chinese families pay an extra high price, some- 

 times as much as 20 to 28 cents our currency per 

 pound." (King, Farmers of Forty Centuries, p. 128.) 



Berberis japonica bealei (Berberidaceae ) , 45973. From 

 Batum, Russia. Presented by the Superintendent, Bo- 

 tanical Garden. A stiff evergreen shrub native of 

 China, often 10 feet in height, with thick, unbranched 

 stems. The pinnate leaves, 1 to 2 feet long, are made 

 up of 7 to 13 obliquely ovate, dark dull green leaf- 

 lets 8 inches long by 6 inches wide, having 4 to 6 

 large spiny teeth along each margin. The delightful- 

 ly fragrant lemon-yellow flowers are borne in a clus- 

 ter of several slender erect racemes 6 to 9 inches 

 long, and are followed by oblong purple berries one- 

 half of an inch long. (Adapted from Bean, Trees and 

 Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, vol. 1, p. 244.) 



Cucumis melo (Cucurbitaceae) , 46029. Australian 

 casaba. From Burringbar, Australia. Presented by Mr. 

 B. Harrison. "I am enclosing seeds of the Australian casaba, 

 the correct name of which I do not know, but which I 

 believe originally came from India. It is a most pro- 

 lific plant, bearing cream-colored fruit about the 

 size of a cucumber. It is sometimes called the apple 

 melon, and is quite popular here, being very palatable 

 when eaten with sugar or made up into pies. It is 

 hardy, prolific, and early, and should thrive well 

 throughout the United States ." (Harrison. ) 



Deeaisnea insignis (Lardizabalaceae ) , 45977. From 

 India. Seeds presented by Mr. George F. Mitchell, 

 Washington, D. C., who obtained them from Mr. G. H. 

 Cave, Lloyd Botanic Garden, Darjeeling, India. "A bush 

 from northern Sikkim, that bears wonderful fruit about 

 as large around as one's thumb and about 4 inches 

 long. Mr. Cave sent a man to Sikkim especially to 



