4 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



to 50165). He also sends in nine species of coffee (Coffea spp.; Nos. 

 50625 to 50633) from the Kongo and other parts of Africa. 



The South China tiing oil is made from the seeds of the mu-yu shu 

 (Aleurites montana; No. 50353) and the central China tung oil from 

 that of A.fordii; both appear to be used more or less indiscriminately 

 by the varnish trade. Together these oils represent the basic material 

 used by a 25-million-dollar industry, and the culture of these two 

 Chinese trees deserves to be undertaken seriously in America. 



G. H. Cave, of Darjiling, India, has presented us with seeds of 15 

 interesting trees and shrubs from the Himalayas, among which is the 

 Docynia indica (No. 50364), a small tree with edible fruits resembling 

 the quince in flavor. This might prove peculiarly adapted to the 

 Puget Sound region, and Pueraria peduncularis (No. 50371), a 

 relative of the kudzu vine of Japan, might grow there also. 



Mr. Wester sends a new leguminous tree {Prosopis vidaliana; 

 No. 50381) which should be worth trying on the Florida beaches. 



Dr. Argollo Ferrao sends in a remarkable variety of cassava 

 (MaiiiJiot esculenta; No. 50388) which is known as the ''manioc of 

 10 years," because it may remain 10 years in the ground and pro- 

 duce roots that weigh more than 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) per 

 tree. 



The late Sr. Andre Goeldi, of Para, Brazil, presented the United 

 States Department of Agriculture with 52 varieties of seeds which he 

 collected at the mouth of the Amazon. Among them is the macauba 

 palm (Acrocoinia sclerocarpa; No. 50467), the seeds of which when 

 roasted make a good table nut. Since the genus to which this palm 

 belongs does unusually well in southern Florida, there may be in 

 the macauba a valuable food tree for that region. The assahy palm. 

 (Euterye oleracea; No. 50481), from the fruits of which a wine is 

 made, and the pupunha {Guilielma speciosa; No. 50482), whose 

 fruits have a mealy covering which when cooked is said to be more 

 delicate than potatoes or chestnuts and to combine the qualities of 

 both, may prove further valuable additions to the economic palms of 

 Florida. There is also a species of Cissus in the collection, a tropical 

 grape (No. 50474) with fruits having the flavor of the Isabella. It 

 is well worth finding out whether the cutitiriba, a species of Lucuma 

 {L. macrocarpa; No. 50487) with fruits 4 inches across, and the 

 cacau-y (Theohroma speciosa; No. 50510), a deliciously flavored 

 fruit related to the cacao, will grow in this country. Oryza latifolia 

 (No. 50491), a perennial wild rice from Marajo, growing to 8 feet 

 in height and bearing seeds the whole year round, may have value 

 as a forage crop on wet soils. 



Hugh Dixson, of New South Wales, has brought to our attention 

 what appears to be a very valuable ornamental climber {Millettia 

 megasperma; No. 50518), which resembles the wistaria but has 



