INVENTORY OF SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED 

 BY THE OFFICE OF FOREIGN SEED AND PLANT 

 INTRODUCTION DURING THE PERIOD FROM lULY 

 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1914 (NO. 40: NOS. 38666 TO 

 39308). 



INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. 



The introductions in this inventory which appear most important 

 from the brief descriptions received and from our limited experi- 

 ence with them are as follows : 



Forage plants. — The Australian Ehodes grass, Chloris virgata 

 variety decora^ No. 39177, which has succeeded wonderfully on clay- 

 pan, wind-swept, and sun-scorched soils when other grasses were 

 difficult to establish; 12 species of grass, Nos. 38765 to 38776, from 

 South Africa, some from the Kalahari desert region and others 

 from the Transvaal and the Caldeon division of the coast region, 

 which, if any of them prove as valuable as the Rhodes grass so suc- 

 cessfully established here from the same general climatic area, will 

 be decided acquisitions: a cowpea, No. 39143, called imboomba, 

 grown by the Zulus of South Africa; a selected forage sugar cane 

 called Quacsofoca, No. 39165, which in Queensland has proved su- 

 perior to all the old standard sorts by its hardiness, yield, softness, 

 and superior food value; grasses, Erianthus rufipilus, from the Hima- 

 layas, and Pollinia fulva, from the interior of Australia, Nos. 39010 

 and 39011, of one of which cattle are so extremely fond that they kill 

 it by close cropping; and a smaller, finer stemmed grass somewliat 

 rf^sembling Para grass, Eriochloa suhglahra, No. 38892, from Brazil 

 called Capim Angolinha. 



Cereals. — A collection of 13 forms of the grass Coix lacryma-johi, 

 Nos. 38868 to 38880, known as Job's-tears, certain of which produce 

 soft kernels and are cultivated for food; 33 varieties of corn, Nos. 

 39228 to 39260, of the characteristic type from Copacabana, Peru: 

 5 varieties of the same cereal, Nos. 39158 to 39162, from Yachow, 

 western China; a collection of sorghum varieties from Java, Nos. 

 39264 to 39282; 20 varieties of rice from the same tropical island, 



Note. — This bulletin is a record of new or little-known seeds or plants procured mostly 

 from abroad. It is intended for distribution to agricultural experiment stations and the 

 more important private cooperators. 



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