
          -14-

the season.  Some low habit Astraguli looked promising about Shiraz
both for forage possibilities and as cover or green manure crops, and
one species was reported to be in cultivation for cattle feed and will
be secured later.

The outstanding forage encountered is clearly the Bam alfalfa,
which is reported to be in indigenous to that oasis desert area and to be
highly disease-resistant.  Two different lots of this were obtained.  I
observed it growing in the walled fields of Bam, where it is planted in
small plots alone or in young date orchards on the irrigated silty gray
desert earths (Photogrash 4).  The climate there is quite comparable
to our Imperial Valley, except for the latter's low elevation, or the
Lancaster Valley of San Bernadino County, California, except that the
latter has heavier winter frosts.  Although the elevation is 3000 feet
at Bam, the winters are quite open and Citrus is regularly grown there
and a trial lot of bananas has been set out.  The agriculture director at
Bam stated that the Bam alfalfa yielded 25 to 30 metric tons of cured hay
per hectatia per annum, secured in 10 to 12 cuttings just before flowering.
The flowering field I saw being cultivated for seed was above knee-high in
thick stand and was producing curled pods in good numbers and it appears
to be good seeder although few insects were seen at work.  This alfalfa
appears to be the equal of our best varieties.  However, it is reported to 
do rather poorly at Kerman about 150 miles away at 5800 feet elevation.

Nuts

Almond culture can bear looking into, judging by the curious
things I have heard reported. Some of the almond growers acheive late-
flowering forms by grafting improved cultivated varieties on native wild
stocks.[illegible]
        