44 



2227. Atriplex semibaccatum. Australian saltbush. 



From California. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild, 1899. 



The plant is a native of Australia, now very successfully grown in California as 

 a forage and fodder plant for alkali soils. {D. G. Fairchild.) A much-branched 

 perennial, which forms a thick mat over the ground to the depth of a foot. The 

 branches extend from 6 to 8 or 10 feet, so that one plant will often cover an area 

 of 20 feet in diameter. The leaves are about an inch long, broadest at the apex, 

 and coarsely toothed along the margin. They are fleshy and somewhat mealy on the 

 outside. The pulpy, flattened fruits are tinged with red at maturity, but dry out 

 as soon as they fall from the plant. They are produced in enormous numbers and 

 ripen continuously for 3 or 4 months, or in situations where growth is perennial 

 throughout the year. At the California Experiment Station it was determined that 

 the seeds germinate better when sown directly on the surface without any covering. 

 When they were harrowed in to the depth of 2 or 3 inches most of them either 

 rotted before germination or the young seedlings were unable to reach the surface. 

 The plant may be propagated by cuttings as well as from seed, and this method 

 is to be preferred wherever the land contains much alkali. The seeds will germinate 

 in the presence of an amount of soda salts which would entirely prevent the growth 

 of cereals. This is especially true in the case of Glauber's salt, though there is, of 

 course, a limit to the amount of alkali the plant will tolerate, as in the case of 

 wheat or alfalfa. This saltbush is perennial in California, Arizona, and New 

 Mexico, but must be treated as an annual wherever the winters are at all severe. 

 In South Dakota plants from seed sown in May had just commenced to blossom at 

 the time of the first hard frost in autumn. 



2228. Gardenia jasminoldes. Cape jasmine. 



From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, 1899. 



An ornamental shrub from China. Much grown in the South. It bears numerous 

 large white very fragrant flowers. 



2229. Passiflora coccinea. Passion flower. 



From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, 1899. 



An ornamental vine from South America with fruits which are eaten both raw and 

 cooked. The flowers are scarlet with orange rays. (See No. 1903.) 



2230. Tuber melanospermum. Truffle. 



From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, 1899. 



Mr. Swingle writes as follows from Paris, under date of January 29, 1899, on the 

 subject of truffi culture: 



"The annual production of truffles in France amounts to over 2,165 tons, worth at 

 wholesale nearly $4,000,000. Trufficulture is practiced principally in Vaucluse and 

 Dordogne, and to a smaller extent in many departments of southwestern central 

 France. The results have been especially striking on the slopes of Mount Ventoux, 

 in Vaucluse, particularly in the communes of Flassan and B6douin. During the last 

 30 years trufficulture has led to the reforesting of large bodies of formerly waste 

 lands. The rental of truffle-farming lands rose at Flassan from 2,700 francs to 8,510 

 francs in about 20 vears. In Be'douin the rise was still more marked, being 11,090 

 francs in 1877, 23,350 francs in 1882, and 38,485 francs in 1887. During the period 

 from 1862 to 1886, 4,500 acres of barren lands were reforested for the purpose of 

 growing truffles. 



"Oaks or hazelnuts are the trees most commonly used in preparing land for the 

 growth of truffles. The oaks usually preferred are Quercus pubescens, Q.pedunculata, 

 and Q. ilex. In Perigord it is the custom to select acorus from trees already bearing 

 truffles. These are sown in nursery rows, aud are finally transplanted to the place 

 where they are to grow. The taproot is cut at the time of transplanting, in order that 

 the spreading root system maybe induced, as it is extremely desirable that the main 

 roots of the oak shall be near the surface. Hazelnuts yield truffles sooner thau oaks. 

 They are adapted to cretaceous soils rather than oolitic. The black mountain oak 

 (Q. pubescens) is best for Jurassic soils. It is planted in mixed plantations with Q. 

 pedunculated. For chalky, cretaceous, or sandy marl soils the evergreen oak (Q. ilex) 

 is best. After the forest plantations arc established the soil must be artificially 

 infected with spores of the truffles. The most approved method is to make a com- 

 post of 25 pounds of truffles with 250 pounds of peat. At the time of sowing 1 pound 

 of this compost is mixed with 2 pounds of earth, and sown broadcast under the trees, 



