122 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



20800. Phoenix dactylifera. Date. 



From Washington, D. C. Received through the California Fruit Company, 

 April 8, L907. 



" I>< ; /h I Voor dates for the propagation of seedling date orchards iu the South- 

 west." {Swingle.) 



20801 to 20805. Rheum spp. 



From Cornhill, Liverpool, England. Received from The Cooperative Bees 

 (Limited) through Mr. David Fairchild, April 1, 1907. 



20801. Rheum compactum. 20804. Rheum tataricum. 



20802. Km i \i officinale. 20805. Rheum acuminatum. 



20803. Rheum hacbocabpum. 



For cooperative experimental work on production of now rhubarh varieties 

 with Mr. .1. B. Wagner, Pasadena, CaL [Fairchild.) 



20806. Solant m ii berosi m. Potato. 



From Erfurt, Germany. Received from Messrs. Eaage & Schmidt, April <;, 



L907. 



Mduschen. "A potato highly esteemed in Germany and by Americans abroad 



for its fine texture and good flavor, it is about the Bize of a full-grown mouse 



ami lias much the appearance of one. whence the name, its shape and firmness 



make it very desirable for salads. 



•• Imported on requesl of several parties to determine whether it will retain its 

 high qualitj after several generations in this country." {Fischer.) 



20808. ( ANAuit m commi m. Tropical almond. 



From Buitenzorg, Java, Dutch East Indies. Presented by Dr. M. Treub, 

 director of the l >epartmen1 of Agriculture, April ii. r.niT. 



"There Is probably qo1 a more beautiful avenue tree in the world. The most 

 beautiful avenue in the famous Gardens of Buitenzorg is of this species, and 

 for this purpose alone it is worthy of the consideration of the landscape gar- 

 deners of the western Tropics. Avenues of this tree should be planted in Porto 

 RiCO, Cuba, and especially on the Canal Zone. 



•Aside from its value as an avenue tree, its nuts have found a use in the 

 I uttch Easl Indies in the preparation of a substitute for mothers' milk. The 

 researches of Dr. w. <:. Boorsma have shown this to be of unusual value for 

 infants. 



"To prepare the emulsion which is the principal ingredient of this baby 



f 1. the meat of the nut is removed from the shell, and also the thin skin 



which surrounds it. by putting it in hot water. These kernels are put in a 

 mortar with an equal weighl of milk sugar and are pounded up together into 

 a dough-like mass, which is gradually mixed with a larger and larger quan- 

 tity of water. The grinding of the kernels is assisted by the hard crystals of 

 the milk sugar. After filtering through a cloth which has been washed in 

 boiling water, the mass of kernels and sugar are wet with water again, and 

 ogain pressed. This process may be repeated several times. The wet emul- 

 sion is added to cows' milk and the mixture sterilized. The oily layer which 

 separates itself and lies on top of the sterilized preparation can be again 

 mixed with the milk by vigorous shaking until only a few flocculent masses 

 remain attached to the sides of the flask. 



" See Dr. W. G. Boorsma, in ' Oorspronkelijke Bijdragen. — Lahmann's 

 ' plantaardige melk ' en kanarizaden-emulsie als toevoegsel tot de melk voor 

 zuigelingen. ( Geneeskundig Tijdschrift voor Ned.-lndie Deel, XLI, afl. 4.) 

 Batavia Jav. Boekh. & Drukkerij, 1901. Also in kanarizaden-emulsie als toe- 

 voegsel tot voor zuigelingen bestemde koemelk. (Geneeskundig Tidjschrift 

 voor Ned.-Indie" Deel, XLV, afl. 1.) Batavia Jav. Boekh. & Drukkerij, 1905. 

 As species of Canarium occur in the Philippines, this use of their seed should 

 be called to the attention of Americans in Manila. 



" This new vegetable fat is, furthermore, perhaps worthy of the attention of 

 American pharmacologists." (Fairchild.) 

 132 



