429 
the Mussart Pass, which is very had at this time of year. 
Mails from this point are irregular, however, and nothing 
further has "been heard. See reproduction of postcard photo- 
graph of Kuldja. 
COSTA RICA. San Jose\ Dr. Werekle" writes April 18, "Of 
Lucuma (Calocarpum) mammosa nobody knows anything here; it is 
an extremely strange thing; it is considered the "best fruit 
of the Continent (of South America) and yet it is not known 
in Costa Rica; nor could I find anybody in ColombiajWho 
knew where it can be seen; no Nicaraguense could tell me 
about it either. It seems that it must be extremely rare 
except in Peru, where it seems to be native, and in Mexico. 
Oken says the tree gets very old before it bears, 5 but theh it 
bears for 200 years continuosly, having all the time flowers 
and fruits in all stages. It is evergreen, if I am not very 
much mistaken, which is not the case with Achras sapota L. 
Pittier seems to confound the two, but the "lucuma' of Peru 
is considered an incomparably finer fruit than the sapote. I 
think there would be less difficulty in getting this tree 
than the 'pacouri-uva' , Platonia insignis, I think ihis 
latter grows in the Rio Negro region. The Persea Pittieri 
seeds I had to plant; they shriveled completely in a tery 
few days; they are of a quite different consistency to those 
of the 'palta' (P. Americana) a little soft. Will send plants 
with the seeds on them yet (this way, strange enough, they 
keep well.) If nothing happens, I will go next Simday to the 
Pacific coast (mouth of Rio Grande and Coyolar) >to see if I 
can still find seeds of the Castilla. I remember when the 
first fruits were ripe the upper part of the twigs had yet 
flowers and buds." 
MEXICO. Chihuahua. Mr. Marion Letcher, American consul, 
writes April 17, "In reference to the harvesting of sesame, 
the people in Guerrero always cut by hand before the pods 
ripen, cutting the entire crop at the same time. There appear 
on the pods just prior to the maturity of the crop certain 
small black spots ^which serve as an indication that the crop 
is ready for harvesting. There will always, of course, be 
inequalities in the degree of maturity as regards the differ- 
ent individual stalks, but this fact does not affect ; the 
yield to an appreciable degree. After cutting, the stalks are 
stacked with the heads up, being thus left until they are 
opened by the sun. In my opinion the use of machinery w<?uld 
be perfectly feasible in the harvesting of the crop. In j the 
matter of threshing seed from the stalks, it appears to me 
that any kind of machinery would be unnecessary^ since I; the 
mere inversion of the dried plants causes the seed to fall 
out, and the handling necessary to the introduction of the 
