APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1921. 



13 



pinnate. The flowers are in terminal panicles witli racemose branches. The 

 tree extends into Natal, Swaziland, the Transvaal, to the West Coast, and from 

 the coast to the Matapos. A valuable and durable timber found in great abun- 

 dance and the most valuable asset Mozambique Province has in its tropical 

 forests. It produces also the African gum kino. (Adapted from Sims, Forest 

 Flora of Portuguese East Africa, p. 4-'/.) 



52913. Allium CEPA L. Liliacese. Onion. 



From Valencia, Spain. Seeds presented by John R. Putnam, American 

 consul. Received April 1, 1921. 



Seeds of the onion which is grown on an extensive scale in Denia, Spain. 

 These onions come upon the American market in a peculiar type of pacl^age 

 and are the large yellow or straw-colored onions sold as Spanish onions. 



52914. Prunus ARMENiACA L. Amygdalacese. Apricot. 



From Aleppo, Syria. Seeds presented by Digby A. Willson. vice consul in 

 charge. Received April 6, 1921. 



"The apricot grown in the Harput (Kharpoot) district is recognized to be 

 the most luscious and most sought for noncitrus Iru t in the Near East. In 

 order that our Department of Commerce and our Department of Agriculture 

 may understand the climate under which the Harput apricot is cultivated, the 

 following information is given : ' 



" The city of Harput is situated in about the same altitude as Denver, Colo., 

 being slightly more than 5,(300 feet above sea level. During the summer, which 

 is very hot. little water is found in the d strict, owing to the entire lack of 

 rain in the summer months, but the winter is extremely cold and snowstorms 

 are not infrequent. The apricot trees usually grow throughout the city in 

 the various gardens, which are irrigated from small streams supplying sufficient 

 water for the cultivation of the trees after the spring rains. Great care is 

 exercised in the cultivation of the Harput apricot, i-esulting in a delicious 

 fruit about the size of an ordinary peach; the apricots are r pe and ready for 

 picking about the last of May or the first days in June. J am informed by 

 many naturalized Americans from the Harput district that these apricot trees 

 will grow in southern California." (Willson.) 



52915. ScLEROcARYA BiRREA (A. Eich.) Hoclist. Anacardiacese. 



From Ma tan a el Safif. Fi.g^pt. Seeds presented by A. Bircher, director, 

 Middle Egypt Botanic Station Received April 7, 1921. 



A tree with narrow, glabrous, 9 to 23 foliolate leaves tufted at the ends of 

 the branches. The elliptic, entire, leathery pinnje are 2 inches in length. The 

 globose, glabrous, whitish yellow drupes, 1 inch long, are borne singly on 

 stout peduncles. A fermented liquid is prepared from the sweetish acid flesh. 

 The stony nut contains two or four seeds of a walnutlike flavor. Native to 

 Upper Guinea and the Nile land. (Adapted from Tancredi, Colonic Eritrea, 

 p. 112). 



52916. Melilotus alba Desr. Fabacese. White sweet clover. 



From Madrid, Spain. Seeds presented by A. Frederico Gredills, curator, 

 Botanic Garden. Received April 5, 1921. 



For experimentation by the Office of Forage-Crop Investigations. 



52917 to 52922. 



From Bello Horizonte, Minas Geraes, Brazil. Seeds presented by Prof. 

 P. H. Rolfs, through Prof. C. V. Piper, United States Department of 

 Agriculture. Received April 1, 1921. Quoted notes by Professor Rolfs. 



52917. AxoNOPus sp. Poacese. Grass. 



Collected at Vicosa. A grass that has some very good points, for 

 grazing purposes, very leafy, covering the ground more densely than 

 St. Augustine at its best. Where the leaves are not cropped off by 

 grazing it stands about 8 inches tall. Zebu have grazed it considerably. 



30837—23 2 



