JULY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1912. 



25 



34214 to 34216— Continued. 



34216. Brassica pekinensis (Lour.) Skeels. Pai ts'ai. 

 "Fine Chinese cabbage seed. The people here plant thinly, either in 



rows, and then pull up the weak sprouts, or scatter over a space and then 

 transplant. The latter method is said to yield the best plants, though for 

 a while the young shoots appear to suffer; yet when the autumn weather 

 comes on and they are well manured the transplanted shoots will make better 

 growth. The plants must be manured heavily when about 8 or 10 inches high — 

 not sooner, or they will bum out, as they say, and not later, or they will not 

 make the growth before cold weather sets in. To get the extra-fine close 

 heads, tie up the leaves when they are pretty well grown, so that the leaves 

 which are loose and long will not fall away from the center and become frost- 

 bitten. The plants should be planted not less than 2 feet apart, in rows that 

 have at least 3 feet space between, as the cabbages need a good deal of room. 

 "\Mien well grown, the average plant will weigh, after being trimmed for the 

 market, about 8 or 9 catties; nearly 2 feet long, mostly crisp white stem, and 

 but little green leaf. I do not know how much nourishment there may be 

 in it, but it is the main staple of the diet of the people here in the north during 

 the winter. With plenty of coarse whole-wheat flour, maize, and cabbage, 

 the people make a good growth certainly here." 



For an illustration of a field of Chinese cabbage as grown at Chevy Chase, 

 Md., see Plate IV. 



34217 and 34218. 



From McCale Sana, Lumbwa, British East Africa. Presented by Mrs. Ernest 

 Smith. Received August 12, 1912. 

 Seeds of the following: 



34217. (Undetermined.) 

 "Wild coffee." 



34218. Phoenix sp. 



"These wild dates are all growing on the river banks; some are growing in 

 the river itself. I fancy this is how they have managed to survive, as the 

 Lumbwa natives have been most destructive with grass fires and burning 

 out everything, and when they wanted a new piece of ground to cultivate 

 they would set fire to the forest as the easiest way of clearing the ground they 

 wanted to use." (Smith.) 



34219. Hyphaene thebaic a (L.) Martins. Doum palm. 



From Hamburg, Germany. Presented by Mr. Robert P. Skinner, American 

 consul general. Received August 7, 1912. 

 Seeds imported through the German importers, who purchase them for use in 

 button making, in order to determine the possibility of securing large quantities of 

 good quality doum-palm seeds for planting purposes. Immense quantities of seeds 

 are imported through Hamburg to supply the button manufacturers of Germany with 

 a cheap substitute for the vegetable ivory produced by the nuts of Phytelephas 

 species. 



34220 to 34249. Oryza sativa L. Rice. 



From Manila, Philippine Islands. Presented by Mr, F. W. Taylor, Director 

 of Agriculture, through Mr. O. W. Barrett, chief. Division of Horticulture, 

 Bureau of Agriculture. Received August 10, 1912. 

 " The }deld of the.se rices varies from 5,000 kilos per hectare down to 3,800 kilos, but, 

 since these yields are considerably affected by local conditions, weather, etc., there 



