﻿68 
  SEEDS 
  AND 
  PLANTS 
  IMPORTED. 
  

  

  30217 
  to 
  30221. 
  Asparagus 
  spp. 
  Asparagus. 
  

  

  From 
  La 
  Mortola, 
  Ventimiglia, 
  Italy. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Alwin 
  Berger, 
  curator 
  

   of 
  the 
  garden. 
  Received 
  March 
  23, 
  1911. 
  

   Seeds 
  of 
  the 
  following: 
  

  

  30217. 
  Asparagus 
  acutifolius 
  L. 
  

  

  30218. 
  Asparagus 
  cooperi 
  Baker. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  wooded 
  slope 
  of 
  Mount 
  Bosehberg, 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  

   2,800 
  to 
  4,000 
  feet, 
  in 
  the 
  Somerset 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  region 
  of 
  Cape 
  Colony. 
  

  

  30219. 
  Asparagus 
  crispus 
  Lam. 
  

  

  30220. 
  Asparagus 
  officinalis 
  L. 
  

  

  30221. 
  Asparagus 
  sprengeri 
  Rgl. 
  

  

  Introduced 
  for 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Office 
  of 
  Truck-Crop 
  Diseases 
  in 
  breeding 
  a 
  resistant 
  

   asparagus 
  and 
  also 
  various 
  forms 
  for 
  florists' 
  use. 
  

  

  30222 
  to 
  30224. 
  

  

  From 
  Paraguay. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  C. 
  F. 
  Mead, 
  Villa 
  Encarnacion. 
  Received 
  

   March 
  24, 
  1911. 
  

   Seeds 
  of 
  the 
  following; 
  notes 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Mead: 
  

  

  30222 
  and 
  30223. 
  Lagenaria 
  vulgaris 
  Ser. 
  Gourd. 
  

  

  "This 
  mate 
  or 
  small 
  gourd 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  used 
  hereabouts 
  in 
  conjunction 
  

   with 
  a 
  bombilla 
  in 
  making 
  the 
  mate 
  as 
  used 
  here 
  for 
  drinking 
  the 
  Paraguay 
  

   tea 
  (No. 
  29097). 
  Plant 
  seeds 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  trellis 
  for 
  the 
  vines 
  to 
  run 
  on, 
  

   and 
  do 
  not 
  pick 
  mates 
  until 
  fully 
  ripened." 
  

   30224. 
  Astroxium 
  urundeuva 
  (Allemo) 
  Engler. 
  TJrunday. 
  

  

  "In 
  Guarany 
  this 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  urundai-mi. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  tree 
  very 
  similar 
  to 
  

   quebracho, 
  but 
  preferable 
  for 
  building 
  purposes, 
  both 
  in 
  strength, 
  durability, 
  

   and 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  lighter 
  in 
  weight, 
  but 
  this 
  particular 
  variety 
  works 
  harder 
  

   with 
  tools. 
  Specific 
  gravity 
  1.172 
  to 
  .917, 
  tensile 
  strength 
  about 
  20,000 
  pounds 
  

   to 
  the 
  square 
  inch, 
  and 
  crushing 
  strength 
  of 
  14,000 
  pounds 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  inch. 
  

   Its 
  resistance 
  to 
  rot 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  — 
  in 
  fact, 
  its 
  longevity 
  is 
  unknown, 
  there 
  

   being 
  bridges 
  in 
  the 
  old 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  Paraguay 
  Central, 
  built 
  in 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  

   elder 
  Lopez 
  in 
  the 
  sixties, 
  the 
  piles 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  sound 
  to-day, 
  the 
  part 
  below 
  

   ground 
  being 
  almost 
  petrified. 
  Whenever 
  a 
  pile 
  has 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  replaced 
  it 
  was 
  

   because 
  insects 
  had 
  eaten 
  the 
  part 
  above 
  ground, 
  and 
  in 
  repairs 
  the 
  general 
  

   rule 
  is 
  to 
  excavate 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  splice 
  and 
  simply 
  put 
  a 
  new 
  piece 
  on 
  top. 
  For 
  

   heavy 
  piling 
  or 
  foundation 
  work 
  when 
  extreme 
  durability 
  and 
  strength 
  is 
  

   required, 
  bridge 
  work, 
  or, 
  in 
  fact, 
  any 
  heavy 
  framing 
  where 
  freedom 
  from 
  

   splitting 
  is 
  a 
  factor, 
  I 
  can 
  recommend 
  this 
  wood 
  highly, 
  both 
  from 
  my 
  own 
  

   experience 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  others 
  who 
  have 
  used 
  it 
  hereabouts 
  for 
  decades. 
  

  

  "Of 
  the 
  uiunday, 
  there 
  are 
  three 
  classes: 
  Blanca 
  (white), 
  Colorado 
  (red), 
  and 
  

   negra 
  (black). 
  This 
  seed 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  kind, 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  best 
  of 
  the 
  three; 
  it 
  

   has 
  a 
  grain 
  interwoven, 
  seemingly 
  even 
  at 
  the 
  rings, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  split 
  

   it 
  in 
  any 
  direction, 
  a 
  very 
  desirable 
  attribute, 
  but 
  trying 
  to 
  the 
  nerves 
  of 
  me- 
  

   chanics 
  working 
  same. 
  The 
  name 
  is 
  a 
  misnomer, 
  as 
  the 
  wood 
  is 
  colored 
  like 
  

   mahogany 
  except 
  that 
  the 
  rings 
  are 
  black, 
  making 
  when 
  cut 
  up 
  a 
  most 
  mag- 
  

   nificent 
  wood 
  for 
  veneer 
  purposes, 
  especially 
  for 
  furniture, 
  picture 
  frames, 
  or 
  

   house 
  finishing. 
  In 
  this 
  class 
  of 
  work 
  it 
  will 
  easily 
  rival 
  rosewood. 
  The 
  

   urunday 
  is 
  a 
  native 
  of 
  subtropical 
  climates, 
  so 
  it 
  may 
  possibly 
  thrive 
  in 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  South 
  or 
  Southwestern 
  States. 
  It 
  wants 
  a 
  black 
  soil, 
  rich 
  in 
  humus, 
  

   and 
  does 
  best 
  in 
  lower 
  levels 
  of 
  hills. 
  It 
  should 
  grow 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  15 
  meters 
  

   233 
  

  

  