2 



SEEDS AXD PLANTS IMPORTED. 



and Brooksville, Fla.. makes it appear desirable to arouse more 

 interest in its culture in America. Its slow growth should not prevent 

 its being planted extensively, for it is a handsome evergreen tree 

 worthy of a place on anyone's lawn. 



The Mexican hawthorn (No. 48507), sent by Mr. F. S. Furnivall, 

 with fruits suited for preserves, may add a fruiting and ornamental 

 tree to our Southern States. 



^Mien the writer was in Cape Town in 1902, Prof. MacOwan called 

 to his attention the spekboom, an important fodder tree of the karoo, 

 and one of the trees then standing in the gardens was cut down and 

 sent in as cuttings. As a result several trees of this species are now 

 growing in Santa Barbara and San Diego. Calif. If it can be natu- 

 ralized in this portion of California and become wild, as in 

 South Africa, it will add a valuable forage asset to the hillsides of 

 that region. Dr. Shantz has sent in additional material with most 

 interesting data on this important tree {P ortulacaria afra. No. 

 48510). 



The late Aaron Aaronsohn called attention to Crataegus azarolus, 

 which he had used successfully as a stock for early pears in Palestine. 

 Sr. Pedro Giraud sends in two varieties of it for trial (Nos. 48516 and 

 48517). 



Mr. J. B. Norton, who was sent out as an agricultural explorer 

 to South China, was prevented by ill health from carrying out the 

 program outlined for the work there, but. before he was forced to 

 return, he obtained several interesting things, among which are a 

 new Actinidia (No. 48551), related to the yang-tao: the Chinese 

 "olive" {Canarhim alburn^ No. 48554) which, contrary to general 

 belief, he found has a pleasant, refreshing flavor: a small water- 

 melon with a thin rind (No. 48558), which he suggests might, after 

 improvement, be adapted for serving as an "individual melon;" 

 a lawn and grazing grass {Eremochloa ophiuroides, No. 48566) for 

 clay soils possibly as far north as the Carolinas; a new species of 

 legimie {Apios fortunei. No. 48569), related to our native Apios 

 tuherosa, which may be useful in the hybridization and selection of 

 this promising wild legume; a new, attractive pot ornamental (Tri- 

 chosanthes cucumeroides. No. 48585), which the Chinese train on 

 special frames in pots; an ornamental perennial shrubby Melastoma 

 fJ/. repens. No. 48718) ; the " tiger grass" {Miscanthus s-inensis. No. 

 48719), from the inflorescence of which excellent brooms are made; 

 and three species of Kubus (Nos. 48739 to 48742), promising for 

 hybridization. 



Since Bignonias are among the most beautiful of the climbers 

 grown in Florida, a new vine of the same family {Pandorea ricaso- 

 liana^ No. 48624), which so experienced a horticulturist as Dr. Pros- 



