INVENTORY OF FOREIGN SEEDS AND PLANTS. 



INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. 



This Section has recently received, through the generosity of the 

 Honorable Barbour Lathrop, of Chicago, an interesting series of 

 seeds of economic plants secured by himself and Mr. David G. Fair- 

 child in Austria, Italy, and Egypt. As shown in the notes furnished 

 by Mr. Fairchild, several varieties are likely to prove of importance 

 in the South and Southwest, and it accordingly seems desirable, in 

 order to avoid delay in distribution, to make this material the sub- 

 ject of a special inventory. 



It is from the warm and generally more or less arid Mediterranean 

 region that economic plants suitable to the South and Southwest are 

 to be expected, rather than from northern Europe, where the climate 

 approximates that of New England and Canada. The value of such 

 importations as the present can not, therefore, be inferred from the 

 usual variety tests alone ; they should also be tried under conditions 

 similar to those indicated in the accompanying information. Some 

 may be found to thrive where the domestic varieties will not, and 

 thus permit the range of a crop to be extended. 



From the neighborhood of Padua, Italy, comes a seedless raisin, 

 No. 3921, which has aroused such lively interest among the Cali- 

 fornia vineyardists to whom cuttings were sent that an additional 

 order has been placed with the parties from whom the original lot 

 was received. 



The Jannovitch cotton, No. 3991, is a new long-staple variety 

 suitable for upland cultivation. It has only recently become known 

 in Egypt, but is there considered extremely promising, so that seed 

 sells at a high price. 



The Egyptian clover, No. 4254, a plant of the greatest importance 

 in Egypt, has been repeatedly tried in the United States, but thus 

 far without marked success. The information sent by Mr. Fairchild 

 with the present importation shows, however, that its uses have thus 

 far been entirely misunderstood in this country. Instead of being 

 suited to a hot climate and a dry soil, it is adapted only for winter 

 growth in warm regions, on wet, overflowed or irrigated lands. 

 The Egyptian clover may thus find a use in the rice and sugar 

 growing districts. It should also be tried in localities subject to 

 inundation, such as the lower valley of the Colorado, about Yuma. 



