﻿52 
  SEEDS 
  AND 
  PLANTS 
  IMPORTED. 
  

  

  30914 
  to 
  30920. 
  Ceratonia 
  siliqua 
  L. 
  Carob. 
  

  

  From 
  Valencia, 
  Spain. 
  Received 
  through 
  Mr. 
  Robert 
  Frazer, 
  jr., 
  American 
  

   consul, 
  May 
  10, 
  191L 
  

   Cuttings 
  of 
  the 
  following, 
  quoted 
  notes 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Frazer: 
  

  

  30914. 
  Matalafera. 
  "This 
  is 
  the 
  variety 
  now 
  most 
  extensively 
  cultivated 
  

   in 
  this 
  region 
  and 
  is 
  very 
  generally 
  used 
  in 
  grafting 
  nursery 
  seedlings 
  and 
  in 
  

   forming 
  new 
  plantations. 
  The 
  tree 
  is 
  of 
  medium 
  size, 
  with 
  smooth 
  and 
  

   straight 
  branches, 
  the 
  ramifications 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  thrown 
  out 
  almost 
  at 
  right 
  

   angles. 
  The 
  leaves 
  are 
  comparatively 
  large 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  dark-green 
  color, 
  

   and 
  the 
  fruit, 
  of 
  a 
  deep 
  chestnut 
  shade 
  bordering 
  on 
  black, 
  is 
  large 
  and 
  wide 
  

   and 
  attains 
  8 
  inches 
  in 
  length, 
  but 
  although 
  of 
  excellent 
  appearance, 
  is 
  not 
  

   considered 
  as 
  good 
  as 
  the 
  red 
  varieties, 
  being 
  lighter 
  in 
  weight 
  and 
  possessing 
  

   less 
  pulp. 
  The 
  crop 
  of 
  this 
  variety, 
  however, 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  constant 
  and 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  of 
  all 
  carobs 
  known 
  to 
  Valencia 
  agriculturists." 
  

  

  30915. 
  Casuda. 
  "This 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  appreciated 
  of 
  all 
  carobs 
  raised 
  in 
  this 
  

   district. 
  The 
  tree 
  attains 
  gigantic 
  proportions, 
  with 
  knotty, 
  tortuous, 
  and 
  

   abundant 
  branches 
  and 
  dense 
  foliage, 
  the 
  leaves 
  being 
  of 
  equal 
  size, 
  the 
  

   smaller 
  predominating. 
  The 
  fruit 
  is 
  long, 
  wide, 
  and 
  thick, 
  of 
  a 
  reddish 
  

   chestnut 
  color 
  with 
  yellowish 
  tints 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  and 
  abundant 
  white 
  pulp 
  

   which 
  renders 
  it 
  appetizing 
  for 
  farm 
  cattle. 
  The 
  great 
  drawback 
  of 
  this 
  

   variety 
  is 
  uncertainty 
  of 
  crop, 
  which 
  frequently 
  fails 
  altogether 
  or 
  yields 
  an 
  

   insignificant 
  harvest." 
  

  

  30916. 
  Red-flowered 
  male. 
  "This 
  is 
  a 
  much 
  smaller 
  and 
  more 
  delicate 
  tree 
  

   than 
  the 
  yellow 
  flowered, 
  very 
  susceptible 
  to 
  cold, 
  but 
  produces 
  a 
  great 
  show 
  

   of 
  flowers, 
  which, 
  however, 
  frequently 
  fall 
  prematurely 
  before 
  fecundation 
  

   is 
  possible." 
  

  

  30917. 
  Yellow-flowered 
  male. 
  "This 
  is 
  a 
  vigorous 
  tree 
  of 
  rapid 
  growth 
  

   which 
  when 
  ingrafted 
  upon 
  a 
  female 
  tree 
  requires 
  frequent 
  pruning 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   its 
  dominating 
  and 
  overpowering 
  the 
  female 
  branches." 
  

  

  30918. 
  Roya 
  vera. 
  "This 
  is 
  a 
  large 
  tree 
  with 
  gnarled 
  branches, 
  of 
  very 
  irreg- 
  

   ular 
  formation 
  and 
  mostly 
  growing 
  at 
  acute 
  angles; 
  leaves 
  light 
  green, 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  and 
  small. 
  The 
  fruit 
  is 
  light 
  red 
  in 
  color, 
  of 
  medium 
  size, 
  4 
  to 
  6 
  inches 
  long, 
  

   and 
  produced 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  tree, 
  trunk 
  and 
  branches, 
  without 
  clustering, 
  

   seldom 
  more 
  than 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  pods 
  being 
  found 
  united, 
  and 
  the 
  pulp 
  is 
  white 
  

   and 
  sweet. 
  This 
  tree 
  is 
  a 
  steady, 
  constant, 
  and 
  abundant 
  crop 
  producer 
  and 
  

   is 
  for 
  this 
  reason 
  preferred 
  by 
  farmers 
  to 
  the 
  other 
  red 
  variety 
  (No. 
  30915), 
  

   although 
  the 
  fruit 
  is 
  not 
  quite 
  so 
  fine." 
  

  

  30919. 
  "The 
  hermaphrodite 
  carob 
  with 
  bisexual 
  flowers 
  is 
  something 
  similar 
  

   in 
  appearance 
  to 
  the 
  Matalafera, 
  but 
  its 
  branches 
  are 
  longer, 
  straighter, 
  and 
  

   smoother, 
  and 
  the 
  smaller 
  ramifications 
  form 
  acute 
  angles 
  with 
  the 
  parent 
  

   branches 
  instead 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  angles 
  that 
  characterize 
  the 
  Matalafera. 
  The 
  

   fruit, 
  of 
  a 
  light-red 
  color, 
  is 
  long 
  and 
  wide, 
  growing 
  in 
  large 
  clusters, 
  but 
  is 
  

   of 
  very 
  inferior 
  quality, 
  being 
  woody, 
  fibrous, 
  and 
  tough 
  and 
  adheres 
  so 
  firmly 
  

   to 
  the 
  trees 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  removed 
  by 
  blows 
  with 
  poles 
  or 
  cutting 
  instru- 
  

   ments 
  carried 
  by 
  harvesters. 
  The 
  advantages 
  of 
  this 
  tree 
  are 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  

   not 
  require 
  grafting 
  to 
  fecundate 
  its 
  flowers 
  and 
  that 
  its 
  abundant 
  fruit 
  can 
  

   not 
  be 
  swept 
  off 
  by 
  high 
  winds 
  before 
  maturity, 
  as 
  so 
  frequently 
  happens 
  

   to 
  other 
  varieties. 
  The 
  fruit, 
  however, 
  is 
  so 
  rough 
  and 
  unpalatable 
  that 
  

   horses 
  and 
  mules 
  accustomed 
  to 
  other 
  carobs 
  reject 
  the 
  hermaphrodites 
  

   altogether 
  and 
  refuse 
  to 
  eat 
  them. 
  For 
  this 
  reason 
  they 
  are 
  usually 
  exported 
  

   to 
  Great 
  Britain, 
  France, 
  and 
  Italy, 
  and 
  are 
  generally 
  steeped 
  in 
  sea 
  water 
  

   242 
  

  

  