14 



influence of clean, open culture, and the use of these vigorous-growing 

 stocks the encroachments of both fungus diseases and insect pests may be * 

 successfully held in check. 



Tobacco. Through the kindness of Prof. D. G. Fairchild, of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, the Bureau secured seeds of 

 selected strains of the best Sumatra wrapper seed. Some of this was 

 distributed in the famous Isabela and Cagayan tobacco districts. Plant- 

 ings have also been made upon the trial grounds in Malate under the 

 Bureau's control, and until now, the approach of the harvest, its planting 

 has been highly satisfactory. Trials have been made in the open and 

 under cover, and the findings of the result when curing is completed will 

 probably be made the subject of a future bulletin. 



"Seguidittas" (Psophocarpns tetragonolobus D. C.). This is a legu- 

 minous vine widely spread over the Asiatic tropics and is spontaneous in 

 most parts of the Archipelago. Its merit and excellence have so attracted 

 the attention of outsiders that enterprising Australian seed growers now 

 catalogue the seed under the name of "asparagus pea." The plant is very 

 prolific of tender angular pods, which when boiled have a distinct aspar- 

 agus-like flavor. It is a strong-growing and long-cropping legume, pro- 

 ducing from October-sown seeds abundant yields from November to 

 March. It is very highly prized by the natives, and there are few garden 

 vegetables of northern origin that would be better appreciated by 

 Americans. 



Bobug (Sterculia foetida). An excellent nut-yielding tree of extraor- 

 dinarily rapid development. It fruits at an early age, probably the third 

 or fourth year, and produces an abundance of wholesome and nutritious 

 seeds not unlike in size and taste the pinon or western pine nut. 



The tree grows to great size and adapts itself to any and every soil or 

 locality. 



Casuy (Anacardium occidentale). A New World introduction of long 

 standing in these Islands that has become sparingly spontaneous in many 

 localities. The general planting of casuy can not be too strongly com- 

 mended as an article both of food and export. The tree begins to fruit in 

 its earliest life (sometimes the second year), and bears largely increasing 

 and regular crops every succeeding year. Its domestic value lies in its 

 being the only native nut-bearing tree of a quality and excellence that 

 compares favorably with the best nuts of Western markets. These nuts 

 are delicious eaten raw and still further improved by roasting. Under 

 pressure they yield about 40 per cent of a bland light oil of much greater 

 value than pure olive oil, which rates on the same plane with the best 

 grades of almond oil. The plant serves a number of local domestic pur- 

 poses and the curiously engorged torus is in some demand as a fresh fruit. 

 In Cuyo I observed trees 7 to 8 meters in height and crown diameter 

 whose single crop of nuts, I think, could have been conservatively esti- 

 mated at not less than 10 kilos. 



