﻿JULY 1 TO OCTOBER 31, 1919. 47 



48103 to 48144— Continued. 



48140. No. 49. " Introduced from New South Wales to Victoria in 

 1917; a selection of seed barley imported into that State." (Rich- 

 ardson. ) 



48141. Odessa. " Introduced from Odessa, Russia, and thought to 

 be the most promising barley for South Dakota conditions." 

 (H. V. Harlan.) 



48142. *Roseworthy Oregon. " Six-rowed field barley, with dark- 

 colored grain, produced by Prof. Perkins, Roseworthy College, 

 South Australia.'* (Richardson.) 



48143. Sea of Azov. " This was introduced by a local produce mer- 

 chant from seed imported from Russia." (Richardson.) 



48144. Short head. " Six-rowed field barley, with dark grain, pro- 

 duced by Prof. Perkins, Roseworthy College, South Australia." 

 (Richardson.) 



48145. Solanum mammosum L. Solanacese. 



From Ecuador. Collected in 1918 by Dr. J. N. Rose, associate curator, 

 United States National Museum. Numbered in October, 1919, for conven- 

 ience in recording distribution. 

 " This Solanum has large thorny leaves, and bears a large deep-yellow fruit, 

 about 3 inches long and 2 inches through, with five small fingerlike protuber- 

 ances projecting from the side, at the base. The fruit lasts for a long time, 

 both on the plant and after being picked, and is quite a curiosity." (Peter 

 Bisset.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 46374. 



48146. Raphia vinifera Beauv. Phcenicaceee. Palm. 



From Aburi, Gold Coast, West Africa. Purchased from Mr. W. D. Tudhope, 

 Director of Agriculture, Agricultural Department of the Gold Coast 

 Colony, Ashanti, and Northern Territories. Received October 3, 1919. 

 The bamboo or wine palm, so called because the natives make wine from 

 the sap of the trunk, is native to west and central tropical Africa, the com- 

 monest tree in the swamps and lowlands which line the waterways. Dense 

 thickets of these graceful palms, traversed only by the wine gatherer or the 

 bamboo cutter, push their way into the lagoons and extend over the flood 

 grounds, and even for a distance of 15 to 20 miles up the river valleys into 

 the interior. African bass, a valuable brush fiber, and raffia are both ob- 

 tained from this palm. The strong whalebonelike bast fiber, contained in the 

 lower portions of the leafstalk, is very easily extracted by a simple process 

 of soaking and beating, and is then made into excellent brooms and brushes. 

 Raffia is prepared by peeling off the cuticle, with some of the underlying 

 fibrovascular bundles, on one or both sides of the leaf. It is used locally for 

 woven fabrics, cloth, hats, and matting. The loose strips of raffia are in 

 demand as tie bands by gardeners. In length of fiber, but more especially in 

 yield of cellulose, it is superior to esparto grass, Stipa tenacissima, which is 

 valuable for making rope, brooms, baskets, paper, etc. The following analysis 

 proves the worth of RapMa vinifera for paper making : Moisture, 9.8 per cent ; 

 ash, 2.7 per cent; cellulose, 60.8 per cent. Ultimate fibers (length), 1.5 to 

 2.5 mm. (Adapted from Kew Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, 1891, No. 

 49, p. 38, and Jackson, Journal of the African Society, vol. 1, p. 299.) 



