36 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED 



56770 and 56771— Continued. 



56771. Trifolium pratense L. Red clover. 



"In Sweden this late-flowering type of red 

 clover is grown for seed and hay throughout 

 the country; the early-flowering type can be 

 grown only in the South." 



56772 to 56776. Trifolium spp. Fa- 

 baceae. 



From Copenhagen, Denmark. Seeds pur- 

 chased from I. C. Bjerg Jensen. Received 

 March 31, 1923. 



Introduced for department specialists engaged in 

 clover breeding. 



56772 and 56773. Trifolium pratense L. 



Red clover. 



56772. Hersnap. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. 

 No. 56285. 



56773. Tystoffe No. 70. 



56774 to 56776. Trifolium repens L. 



White clover. 



56774. Morso. 



56775. Stryno. 



58776. Polonian White clover. 



56777 to 56779. 



From Yunnan, China. Collected by J. F. 

 Rock, Agricultural Explorer of the TJ. S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture. Received January 

 18, 1923. Quoted notes by Mr. Rock. 



56777. Castanea sp. Fagaceae. Chestnut. 



"(No. 6729. November 12, 1922.) Seeds 

 collected in the hills back of Mengka." 



56778. Lilium sp. Liliacese. 



Lily. 



"(November 8, 1922.) Bulbs of a wild 

 lily 12 to 15 feet in height, found in forests of 

 Quercus and Schima 1}4 days' journey west 

 of Tengyueh, on the Taping watershed, at 

 an altitude of 8,000 feet. The leaves are 

 long and lanceolate, and the large, ample 

 panicles probably contain 10 or 12 flowers, 

 which are said to be large and white." 



56779. Photinia sp. Malacea?. 



"(No. 6726. November 11, 1922.) Seeds 

 of a tree 30 to 40 feet high with a dense crown, 

 found on the plain and hills near Mengka, 

 at 5,000 to 6,000 feet altitude. The leaves 

 are pale green and lanceolate, and the flowers, 

 said to be white, are in large panicles 5 inches 

 across. In November the tree is one mass of 

 deep orange-red fruits." 



56780 and 56781. 



Sapindacese. 



Nephelitjm spp. 



From Buitenzorg, Java. Seeds presented by 

 the director, Botanic Garden. Received 

 March 3, 1923. 



56780. Nephelium lappaceum L. Rambutan. 



" This well-known fruit is probably a native 

 of the Malayan Peninsula. The fruit is 

 popular both with Europeans and natives 

 alike and claims a place amongst the best 

 fruits of the East. The tree is of medium 

 size and, when bearing a good crop of fruit, 

 one of the most ornamental of trees. The 

 small green flowers are produced in loose pan- 

 icles and are unisexual. Trees having all 

 male flowers are often met with; such trees, 

 of course, bearing no fruit. The flowering 

 period varies somewhat with the season, but 

 usually the tree blooms in April and May and 

 again to a lesser extent in September and 



56780 and 56781— Continued. 



October. The fruit takes about four months 

 to mature, and the main crop is generally rip& 

 in August and September, to be followed by 

 another crop toward the end of the year. 

 As with most fruits, the crop varies in quan- 

 tity; some years such enormous crops ot 

 fruit are produced that a difficulty is experi- 

 enced in disposing of them. A considerable 

 number of slight variations are to be noticed 

 on the rambutans grown here. The color ot 

 the fruit varies from yellow to crimson. 

 There is much difference in the flavor of the 

 fruit; some are acid while others are sweet and 

 of a delicious flavor. Also the quantity of 

 flesh on the stones varies considerably. In 

 the best varieties the flesh comes away easily 

 from the seed . The fruit i s usual ly eaten raw 

 as dessert, but it can also be stewed or made 

 into a preserve. 



" The rambutan will grow in most soils, but 

 responds well to good cultivation. The writer 

 ha» in mind a certain tree which was long 

 unproductive; by judicious management 

 this tree was brought into fine condition and 

 bore quantities of fruit yearly. In this in- 

 stance a trench was dug round the tree at 

 about 4 feet radius from the trunk. A charge 

 of dynamite was employed to loosen the sub- 

 soil and the trench refilled with a compost of 

 good soil and well-rotted cow manure. 

 Clearly the rambutan is a tree that likes deep 

 cultivation and an open soil. It may be 

 raised from seed sown under shade, though it 

 appears highly desirable to propagate the best 

 varieties by grafting on seedling stocks. 

 The Malays frequently raise young trees by a 

 process of marcottage termed 'tut' in the 

 Malay language. The advantages of this 

 method are several and have been explained 

 previously. The rambutan is a fruit worthy 

 of the plant breeder's attention. By selec- 

 tion and good cultivation it seems quite pos- 

 sible that well-flavored varieties might in time 

 replace the poor kinds frequently met with." 

 (J. N. Milsum, Fruit Culture in Malaya, 

 p. 79.) 



56781. Nephelium mutabile Blume. 



Pulasan. 



"Pulasan. A Malayan tree which is similar 

 to the rambutan in appearance, but differs 

 in the fruit and in the leaves being gray be- 

 neath. The fruit is larger than that of the 

 rambutan and is a deep purple-brown With 

 short blunt processes. According to Ridley, 

 the flavor is decidedly superior to that of 

 the latter fruit." (Macmillan, Handbook of 

 Tropical Gardening, 2d ed., p. 176.) 



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

 42385. 



56782 to 56784. 

 acese. 



Oryza sativa L. Po- 

 Rice. 



From Seoul, Chosen. Seeds presented by the 

 director, Department of Agriculture and In- 

 dustry. Received March 20, 1923. 



Early-maturing varieties introduced for depart- 

 ment specialists engaged in rice-breeding experi- 

 ments. 



56782. Kokuryomi Yaka. 



56783. Tamanishiki. 



56784. Waseshinliki. 



56785. Musa gilletii Wildem. Mu- 

 sacese. Banana. 



From Kisantu, Belgian Congo. Seeds pre- 

 sented by Pere J. Gillet. Received March 

 21, 1923. 

 "From Lower Uele." (Gillet.) 

 For previous introduction and description, see 

 S. P. I. No. 56485. 



