42 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



24206 to 24310— Continued. 



24303 and 24304. Opuntia picus-indica (L.) Mill. 



24303. Fruit of this is oblong and ripens in winter; the leaf is narrow 

 and 2 to 3 feet long. 



24304. Fruit of this ripens in midsummer; the leaves are large and 

 thick; the thorns are very small. 



24305. Andropogon sorghum (L.) Brot. Durra. 

 A food plant recently found in Chile; unknown. 



" White durra with small, semicompact heads; glumes very pale and densely 

 hairy, due probably to dry environment; seeds small, circular, and less flat- 

 tened than in our domestic variety; florets awned; resembles somewhat the 

 white durra of Syria." (Carleton R. Ball.) 



24306. Cuctjrbita sp. 



Alcayota, 'vegetable marrow; used for making preserves. 



24307. Cannabis sativa L. Hemp. 

 The ordinary Chile sort ; about the year 1545 it was introduced by the Spanish 



and has been largely grown since. 



24308. Hordeum vtjlgare L. Barley. 

 The common Chile sort; grown on dry hills in the worst class of red clay soil; 



if this same seed is sown in better land it increases largely in weight and size 

 and grows cleaner. This seed is sent as harvested and thrashed by mares. 



24309. Acacia cavenia (Mol.) Bert. 



" Espino de Chile." An exceedingly valuable wild thorn tree, grows abun- 

 dantly throughout central Chile, seeks the driest regions, and is generally used 

 for fences, is impassable and durable if cut when the sap is down; when green, 

 is flexible. It is used as a fence without posts, but more generally is woven 

 between three wires, thus making a very cheap and effective fence. The wood 

 is red streaked with black, extra hard, is used for cogs in mill wheels, and 

 spokes of the heaviest carts, coaches, etc., are made from it. This wood 

 makes the best, hottest, and most lasting charcoal, used exclusively for heating 

 dwellings. Grows quickly in worst dry soil of any class; the long taproot 

 reaches moisture at great depths in a few months. Sheep and goats are espe- 

 cially fond of the new leaf growth and the seeds. The seeds are sown with the 

 dung of these animals. They require a long soak. These trees, when cut, 

 quickly sprout anew. Their natural shape is half round; when pruned, they 

 grow round. It is a splendid shade tree. Leaves are very fine and beautiful. 

 Every part of the branches blooms (the females only) early upon the naked tree 

 before leafing, forming a dense mass of yellow flowers so deliriously fragrant 

 that the fragrance is extracted by the Paris perfumers. 



24310. Cryptocarya rubra (Mol.) Skeels. 

 Peumo with crimson fruit. 



24311. Citrus aurantium sinensis L. Sweet orange. 



From Brazil. Presented by Mr. Pierre Paul Demers, American consul, Bahia, 

 Brazil. Received December 11, 1908. 

 Bahia navel orange. "These scions were cut from very healthy orange trees, 

 namely, the navel orange grafted upon the ' Laranja da terra.' I have eaten an orange 

 from one of these trees measuring 15 inches in circumference, and its flavor was deli- 

 cious. About one-third of these scions came from that particular tree. 

 153 



