6 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



Thomas Brown, of Egypt, sends a remarkable collection of Gro- 

 ialar'ias (Nos. 51832 to 51842), promising cover crops and humus- 

 l)rodiicing plants, for trial in California and Florida. 



The Madrid Botanic Garden has furnished a valuable collection 

 of the forage legume, lotus, embracing 14 species (Nos. 51856 to 

 51869) collected in Europe and Africa. 



Throug-li John Dunbar, of Eochester, N. Y., we have received for 

 propagation material of what is probably the most satisfactory of 

 all the poplars and one of the few large-leaved exotic trees that 

 can be recommended for general planting in the Northern States, 

 Populu^ m£ixiniotoiGzii (No. 51877). It grows 3 to 5 feet a year for 

 the first eight years under conditions where the Norway maple will 

 grow only 6 to 24 inches and the red and pin oak 12 to 30 inches. 

 A tree at the Arnold Arboretum is now 20 years old and 35 feet 

 tall. 



There is a variety of sulla, Iledysaruni coronarlum (Nos. 51888 and 

 51889), occurring on the little island of Grozo (one of the Malta 

 group), which matures earlier than the ordinary sort of this remark- 

 able forage crop; it seems worth testing in the South where the 

 ordinary sulla has not been a success, since it is caught by the fall 

 frosts. 



Paulownla fortunei (No. 52268), a Formosan flowering tree re- 

 lated to Paulownla imperialis but with whitish spotted flowers, has 

 Avintered in Washington successfully. Possibly it will prove a de- 

 sirable ornamental park tree for the Southern States. 



A. C. Hartless, of Seharunpur, sends in seeds of a tree of the 

 caper family, Crataeva religiosa (No. 52286), the fruits of which 

 are mixed with mortar to form strong cement. Just how it increases 

 the strength of the cement is not clear. 



To those interested in tropical persimmons, Diospyros peregrina 

 (No. 52288), with fruits 2 inches across, may be useful. 



The botanical determinations of seeds introduced have been made 

 and the botanical nomenclature revised by H. C. Skeels, and the 

 descriptive and botanical notes arranged by G. P. Van Eseltine, who 

 has had general supervision of this inventory. The manuscript of 

 this inventorv has been prepared bv Miss Esther A. Celander and 

 Miss Patty f. Newbold. 



David Fairchild, 

 Agricultural Explorer in Charge. , 



Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, 



Washington, D, (7., March 18, im. 



