JULY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1913. 



21 



35891. Castanea mollissima Blume. Chestnut. 



From San Tun Ying, China. Collected by Mr. Frank N. Meyer, Agricultural 

 Explorer for the Department of Agriculture. Received July 21, 1913. 

 "(No. 1867a. San Tun Ying, China. May 30, 1913.) Lee tze. A good quality of 

 seeds of a Chinese chestnut coming from the best chestnut district of North China. 

 This North China chestnut has no value as a timber tree, being of a low-branching open- 

 headed growth, while the trees do not grow tall, specimens over 40 feet in height being 

 rare. It seems, however, much more resistant to the bark fungus disease than the 

 American chestnut, and it might be utilized in certain hybridization experiments in 

 trying to combine the good qualities of both the American and the Chinese parents into 

 one tree. This chestnut loves a well-drained, decomposed granite soil, preferably at 

 the foot of hills or of mountains; it also seems quite averse to strong winds and therefore 

 thrives best in well-sheltered valleys. In its native localities it is but little cultivated, 

 the peasants being contented to plant a few trees here and there along the bases of hills 

 and on sloping fields, and the trees in general look much thriftier when close to rocks- 

 and bowlders than when seen on fairly level fields. From the nature of the tree and 

 the climate where it grows one might conclude that sheltered valleys in the foothill sec- 

 tions of the Rocky Mountain region will probably suit this chestnut better than any 

 other section in the United States, and some serious attempts should be made to estab- 

 lish it in these regions as a hardy nut-bearing tree. The Chinese roast these nuts in 

 wintertime in large open iron pans in a mixture of sand with some coarse sugar or 

 molasses in it. This treatment gives the chestnuts a glossy, appetizing appearance." 

 {Meyer.) 



For illustrations of this chestnut tree as found growing in China, see Plates II and III. 



85892. Castilla nicoyensis O. F. Cook. 



Central American rubber tree. 



From San Jose, Costa Rica. Presented by Mr. Carlos Werckle, Department of 

 Agriculture. Received July 19, 1913. 

 "A medium-sized tree, 10 to 20 meters high. Limbs divaricate, ascending, or hori- 

 zontal. Floriferous twigs covered with a dense coating of rather long, brownish hairs, 

 longitudinally striate when dry and filled with a thick, white pith. Leaves of medium 

 size, deciduous. Petioles 1 to 2 cm. long, thick and densely hairy. Leaf blades 20 to 

 46 cm. long, 10 to 20 cm. broad, more or less cordate-emarginate at base, acuminate 

 at tip, covered on the upper surface with sparse hair, this tliicker on the midrib and 

 primary veins, paler and hairy, especially on the veins, beneath. Nervation regular, 

 prominent beneath. Margin distinctly dentate-sinuate, with tufts of hair on the teeth. 

 The young leaves are dark green and sparsely hairy above, densely hairy tomentose 

 beneath; the indentation of the margin is scarcely noticeable, and the base is often 

 only rounded or scarcely emarginate. So far Castilla nicoyensis is reported from the 

 peninsula of Nicoya only, but the probability is that it will be found all along the 

 coast of the Pacific, from Nicaragua to Panama. It is a good rubber producer, the 

 milk being particularly abundant toward the end of the dry season, and to this fact is 

 due its almost complete extermination in the western forests of Costa Rica." {Pittier, 

 Treatment of the genus Castilla, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., vol. 13, pp. 275-277, 1910.) 



35893. Anacolosa luzoniensis Merrill. Galo. 



From Manila, Philippine Islands. Presented by Mr. 0. W. Barrett, chief, Division 

 of Horticulture, Bureau of Agriculture. Received July 19, 1913. 

 ' * Seeds of a newly discovered fruit. The seed contains a very high grade starchy 

 kernel, which may be eaten raw or roasted, and which is at certain seasons a very 

 important article of diet among the Filipinos. W^en thoroughly ripe the pul]) sur- 

 rounding the shell is also edible and is a very delicious thing. Galo fruit occurs only 

 in the hilly interior of Cavite Province." (Barrett.) 



