JULY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1912. 



31 



34290 and 34291. 



From Hankow, China. Presented by Mr. Roger S. Greene, American consul 

 general. Received August 21, 1912. 

 Seeds of the following; quoted notes by Mr. Greene: 



34290. Sesamum orientale L. Sesame. 

 (S. indicum L.) 



"Tzu ma. A good culinary oil is expressed from these seeds." 

 For an illustration of sesame plants growing at the Yarrow Field Station, Rockville, 

 Md., see Plate V. 



34291. Cannabis sativa L. Hemp. 

 ''Ta ma. Said to be the hemp which grows higher than all other kinds. 



I am told that there are two principal varieties of ta ma hemp in this neigh- 

 borhood, one of which yields three crops a year, while the other yields only 

 one crop. This tall hemp of which I am sending you seed gives only one 

 crop." 



34292. BoMBAX sp. 



From Shek Lung, China. Presented by Mr. A. J. Fisher. Received August 10, 

 1912. 



"This tree at first has a great many sharp thorns on its trunk, but after four or five 

 years these thorns disappear. It grows into a big, high tree. I should think that 

 it would not stand frost. It sheds its leaves in the winter here. In the spring before 

 the leaves come it shows a red flower, followed by pods in which the cotton and seed 

 are borne. It seems to be native to this soil and grows very easily and quickly. 

 It is not cultivated, but usually grows up wild. It is called min fa shiie (cotton 

 tree). It is used by the Chinese for making pillows and is dearer than the imported 

 cotton. It seems very good, for it does not gather in lumps like the ordinary cotton." 

 (Fisher.) 



34293 and 34294. Holcus sorghum L. Sorghum. 



(Sorghum vulgare Pers.) 

 From Cedar Hill, Tex. Presented by Mr. D. C. Nance, through Mr. C. V. Piper. 



Received August 26, 1912. 

 "This is a small, sweet-stemmed, kafirlike sorghum, but with a looser head than 

 ordinary kafir. Mr. Nance writes that he has grown Red kafir continuously since 

 1908. The seed of it was obtained from the David Hardie Seed Co., of Dallas, Tex. 

 *I saw nothing peculiar growing among my Red kafir until 1911, when I discov- 

 ered a few plants of kafirita. My attention was directed to them by reason of their 

 diminutive size and early maturity. I noticed further that some plants bore red 

 seeds and others white, and from this fact I gathered that kafirita was not merely 

 a dwarf Red kafir, so I searched out the fields — 6 acres — for other similar plants and 

 obtained perhaps 2 ounces of seed in all. This I planted carefully in 1912, and the 

 plants bred perfectly tme. I suppose that we may as well assume that the plant 

 originated here on my farm. It is evidently not just a dwarf Red kafir, for that 

 view does not account for the white seeds. However, excepting this feature, to- 

 gether with a constantly yellow tinge of the whole plant except the seed, it is a 

 perfect dwarf Red kafir.' (D. C. Nance, letter, August 7, 1912.) " (C. V. Piper.) 



34293. ^Yhite. 34294. Red. 



