﻿B. 
  P. 
  I.— 
  689. 
  

  

  SEEDS 
  AND 
  PLANTS 
  IMPORTED 
  DURING 
  THE 
  

   PERIOD 
  FROM 
  OCTOBER 
  1 
  TO 
  DECEMBER 
  31, 
  

   1910: 
  INVENTORY 
  NO. 
  25; 
  NOS. 
  28883 
  TO 
  2932T. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTORY 
  STATEMENT. 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  inventory 
  includes 
  the 
  material 
  collected 
  during 
  the 
  

   period 
  from 
  June 
  to 
  September, 
  1910, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Frank 
  N. 
  Meyer, 
  the 
  

   only 
  agricultural 
  explorer 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  who 
  was 
  exploring 
  the 
  region 
  

   which 
  lies 
  along 
  the 
  Zerafshan 
  Valley 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Samar- 
  

   kand, 
  Tashkend, 
  Old 
  Bokhara, 
  the 
  oasis 
  of 
  Merv, 
  Chart 
  chui, 
  Andijan, 
  

   Guldscha, 
  Terek-Dawan, 
  Osh, 
  Kostakos, 
  Kizil-Kurgan, 
  and 
  Khokan 
  

   in 
  Russian 
  Turkestan, 
  and 
  the 
  cities 
  of 
  Kashgar, 
  Kan-Shugan, 
  

   Ulukshat3 
  and 
  Irkestan 
  in 
  Chinese 
  Turkestan. 
  Although 
  Mr. 
  Meyer 
  

   was 
  hindered 
  from 
  making 
  several 
  important 
  side 
  trips 
  which 
  had 
  

   been 
  contemplated, 
  he 
  still 
  secured 
  during 
  his 
  stay 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  

   141 
  different 
  specimens, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  special 
  importance. 
  

   "Among 
  them 
  is 
  a 
  hardy 
  dwarf 
  Primus 
  (Nos. 
  28943 
  and 
  28944) 
  from 
  

   the 
  mountain 
  slopes 
  near 
  Wishist 
  at 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  3,000 
  to 
  7,000 
  feet, 
  

   which 
  Mr. 
  Meyer 
  suggests 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  value 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  of 
  bushy 
  

   forms 
  of 
  the 
  almond 
  or 
  as 
  a 
  stock 
  for 
  the 
  almond 
  in 
  dry 
  regions. 
  

   Possibly 
  the 
  suggestion 
  of 
  an 
  economic 
  bush 
  cherry 
  may 
  be 
  realized 
  

   by 
  American 
  breeders 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Meyer's 
  Prunus 
  prostrata 
  (No. 
  28945) 
  

   and 
  Prunus 
  microcarpa 
  (No. 
  28946) 
  be 
  utilized 
  in 
  the 
  creation 
  of 
  

   such 
  a 
  fruit, 
  while 
  the 
  various 
  forms 
  of 
  Prunus 
  cerasifera 
  divaricata 
  

   (Nos. 
  28948 
  to 
  28951 
  and 
  No. 
  29224), 
  called 
  " 
  Alitcha" 
  in 
  Turkestan, 
  

   may 
  be 
  of 
  distinct 
  value 
  to 
  the 
  plum 
  breeders 
  because 
  of 
  their 
  early- 
  

   fruiting 
  character, 
  their 
  remarkable 
  productiveness, 
  and 
  their 
  resist- 
  

   ance 
  to 
  drought 
  and 
  heat. 
  

  

  The 
  apricot 
  growers 
  of 
  Turkestan 
  grow 
  varieties 
  which 
  have 
  sweet 
  

   instead 
  of 
  bitter 
  kernels, 
  which 
  they 
  use 
  for 
  confectionery 
  purposes 
  

   just 
  as 
  we 
  do 
  the 
  kernels 
  of 
  the 
  almond. 
  Mr. 
  Meyer 
  has 
  imported 
  11 
  

   varieties 
  of 
  these 
  (Nos. 
  28953 
  to 
  28962 
  and 
  No. 
  29223) 
  and 
  recom- 
  

   mends 
  that 
  the 
  whole 
  subject 
  of 
  the 
  utilization 
  of 
  apricot 
  kernels 
  be 
  

   studied. 
  This 
  may 
  resolve 
  itself 
  into 
  a 
  comparison 
  between 
  the 
  price 
  

   of 
  the 
  kernels 
  as 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  prussic 
  acid 
  and 
  their 
  price 
  as 
  a 
  table 
  

   delicacy. 
  

  

  1933°— 
  Bui. 
  227—11 
  2 
  7 
  

  

  