APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1908. 49 



22961. Phalaris coerulescens Desf. 



From Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. Presented by Mr. R. W- 

 Peacock, manager, Experimental Farm, through Mr. C. V. Piper. Re- 

 ceived June 13, 1908. 

 " This new fodder plant has been tried by Mr. J. Furphy, of Hill End, in the 

 Moe District, West Gippsland, who says it supplies what has long been wanted — 

 a winter feed for stock, as it resists the frosts and keeps growing right through 

 the winter months. Mr. Furphy states that he obtained a few plants and trans- 

 planted them at the end of April of last year, putting them out in drills 3 feet 

 apart and 2 feet in the drills. By the end of June they had made a growth of 

 2 feet, sending out shoots until, by the end of the season, as many as 167 stems 

 had been produced by one plant, the highest averaging 7 feet, while some of 

 the stronger stems obtained a height of 8£ feet, the clumps measuring 2 feet 

 across. Although it was a severe winter, not a yellow leaf could be seen, and 

 the growth was continuous, with nice, succulent blades up to the flowering 

 stems. -The roots are fibrous, the foliage very dense, and color a bright green 

 in the middle of winter. It seems to succeed in the colder districts where other 

 plants do not thrive. Autumn planting is recommended, and Mr. Furphy 

 favors giving the plants plenty of room. His plot yielded at the rate of 60 

 bushels of seed and 8 tons of hay to the acre. He cut the crop at the end of 

 January, this year, and in 45 days it had grown a second crop nearly 3 feet 

 high, the weather meantime being very dry- As to the milk-producing quali- 

 ties of the grass, judging by its succulent quality and the abundance of the 

 crop, Mr. Furphy is convinced that it will prove a most valuable fodder for the 

 dairy herd." (Journ. Dept. Agric. Western Australia, vol. 15, p. 652. 1907.) 



22962. Medicago sativa L. Alfalfa.. 



From about 50 miles south of Lan Chow, Kansu, China. Presented by 

 Rev. David Ekvall, Tehtao. Kansu, China, through Mrs. Edward Q. 

 Knight, Takoma Park, D. C. Received June 16. 1908. 

 " The natives say this seed must be sown with something else to grow well.'" 

 (Ekvall.) 



22963 to 22968. 



From Argentina, South America. Presented by Senor Mario Estrada,, 

 Division of Agriculture. Buenos Aires. Received June 10. 1908. 

 22963 to 22965. From province of Buenos Aires. 



22963. Ekagrostis sp. 22965. Rumex crispus L. 



22964. Eragrostis sp. 



22966. Andropogon saccharoides Sw. 

 From province of Santa Fe. 



22967. Briza sp. 



From province of Santa Fe. 



22968. Panicum bergi Arech. 

 From province of Buenos Aires. 



22969. Gladiolus salmoneus Baker. Gladiolus. 



From Merea, Durban, Natal. Presented by Dr. J. Medley Wood, director. 

 Natal Botanic Gardens. Received June IS. 1908. 

 " Corms of a handsome but not very common species." (Wood.) 

 61160— Bui. 142—09 i 



