166-5 
J. A. Hamilton. A tree native to Queensland; the hard 
dark brown wood with red markings, resembles that of 
the American walnut. It is an excellent wood for the 
joiner or cabinetmaker, and is also suitable for 
turnery. (Adapted from Maiden, Useful Native Plants 
of Australia, p. 599.) 
Polymnia edulis ( Asteraceae ) , 52S94. From Aulnay-sous- 
Bois, Prance. Tubers presented by Prof. R. de Noter, 
Ecole d'Accllmatation et de Recherches Agricoles. "*A 
strong herbaceous plant, very decorative with its tall 
stalks 1.5 m. high, beautiful foliage, and yellow, au- 
■ tumnal flowers . The numerous, clustered, clean tubers 
are white, almost transparent, very sweet, and taste 
somewhat like a pear. They are eaten raw in their na- 
tive country where they are keenly relished . The leaves, 
stalks, and tubers are greedily eaten by animals. The 
enormous quantity of sugar in the tubers yields three 
times as much alcohol as can be distilled from the 
Irish potato. Molasses can also be made from the tu- 
bers. A half -decayed tuber grew a plant which bore 
thirty-two tubers 15 to 20 cm. long, weighing 3 kg. 
"This hardy plant ocours wild,, and is also cul- 
tivated, in the Andes Mountains. In Algeria irrigation 
is necessary. -In any case, half of the foliage can 
be us-ed during the summer for feed. At harvest the 
tubers are stored in a cellar. The plant is easily 
lifted from the soil and is superior to the Jerusa- 
lem artichoke and the sunflower in that it leaves 
nothing behind." (de Noter.) 
Prunus armeniaea ( Amygdalae eae), 52914. Apricot. 
Prom Aleppo, Syria. Seeds presented by Mr. Digby A. 
Willson, vice consul in charge. "The apricot grown in 
the Harput (Kharpoot) district is recognized to be 
the most luscious, and most sought-for noncitrus f rui t 
in the Near East. In order that growers may understand 
the climate under which the Harput apricot is culti- 
vated, the following information is given: 
"The city of Harput is situated at about the same 
altitude as Denver, Colorado, and is slightly more than 
5,000 feet above the sea level. During the summer, 
which is very hot, little water is found in the dis- 
trict owing to the entire lack of rain in the summer 
months, but the winter is extremely cold and snow 
storms are not infrequent. The apricot trees usually 
grow throughout the city in the various gardens which 
are irrigated from small streams supplying sufficient 
