790 
Panax qwinquefolium . ( Araliaceae . ) 38742-751. Seeds 
of ten varieties of ginseng from China. Presented by His 
Excellency Ts'ao Ju-lin, twice Minister for Foreign Affairs, 
through Dr. Paul S. Reinsch, American Minister, Pekin, at 
the request of Mr. Prank N. Meyer. Wild and cultivated 
varieties from Shengking province, Manchuria. 
Plagianthus betwlinus. (Malvaceae.) 58969. Seeds from 
Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand. Presented by Mr. D. Petrie. 
"A tree, varying from 30 to 60 feet in height, with termi- 
nal panicles of white flowers. The young shrub forms a 
mass of tortuous interlacing branches." (Laing and Black- 
well, Plants of New Zealand.) "This tree is from the 
southern part of our colony and should be hardy enough for 
your lowlands. The tree is dioecious and it would be inr 
terestlng to note how many turn out male and how many fe- 
male. The tree naturally grows on alluvial flats and by 
the side of streams that meander through such stations. I 
doubt if it would thrive anywhere else." (Petrie.) 
Prunusarmeniaca. (Amygdalaceae . ) 38778, 38978. ' Seeds 
of an apricot from Somma Vesuviana, Italy. Presented by 
Dr. Gustav Eisen, Rome. "Pelese apricot. Size large, 
slightly ovoid. Deep crease between the cheeks, one of 
which is larger than the other. Skin smooth, without 
spots. Color, orange chrome, with carmine flush. Seed 
medium, with a small projection or hump. Flesh very firm, 
ripens evenly all around and shows no unripe side. Flavor 
very fine. Sweetness medium (the specimen having been 
picked while unripe.) Leaves pointed. I consider this 
apricot one of the finest if not the finest I have come 
across. It should be a splendid shipper, and if the 
sweetness is increased by allowing the fruit to ripen 
more, it should prove a very desirable table fruit, supe- 
rior to the Royal. An average fruit displaced 53 cubic 
cm. water, when immersed in a graduate ." (Eisen. ) 
Primus sargenti. (Amygdalaceae.) 38761. Seeds from 
the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Mass. Presented by 
the Director, Dr. C. S. Sargent. "This species Is con- 
sidered by Wilson valuable as a stock for Japanese cher- 
ries." (Sargent.) 
Prunus tomentosa. (Amygdalaceae.) 38856. Seeds from 
Pekin, China. About 125 pounds of stones of the north 
Chinese bush-cherry, a fruiting shrub of great promise for 
the cooler, semi-arid sections of the United States. Chi- 
nese name 'Suan tau'r' or 'Suan ying tau'r,' meaning 'sour 
cherry." 1 (Meyer's introduction.) 
