PLATE I. Giant acorns of a Mexican oak (Quercus insignis, S. P. I. No. 39723).. II. The sycamore fig (Ficus sycomorus, S. P. I. Nos. 39827, 39857, III. An interesting hardy citrus fruit from Kansu, China (Citrus sp., S. P. I. Nos. 39897 and 40039). . . . IV. The Tangutian bush almond (Amygdalus tangutica, S. P. I. No. V. A Kansu poplar (Populus suaveolens przewalskii, S. P. I. No. 39900). VI. A tall-growing gooseberry from Kansu, China (Ribes alpestre gigan- teum, S. P. I. Nos. 39916 and 40022).... VII. Trunk of Potanin's peach (Amygdalus persica potanini, S. P. I. No. 3 INVENTORY OF SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED BY THE OFFICE OF FOREIGN SEED AND PLANT INTRODUCTION DURING THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 1915 (NO. 42; NOS. 39682 TO 40388). INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. Owing to the disturbed condition of ocean traffic and the uncertainty of getting perishable plant material in, no expeditions were undertaken except that into the Province of Kansu, China, which had been planned for two years. Nevertheless, an unusual number of interesting and important plants are described in this number of the inventory. Mr. Frank N. Meyer, who made the Kansu expedition, although hampered by the difficulty of getting good interpreters who were willing to accompany him to the borders of Tibet, succeeded in getting as far as the capital of Kansu Province, but was obliged to retrace his steps from that point. He discovered a number of very interesting plants, however, among which perhaps the most important will be found to be some largefruited wild freestone peaches, Amygdalus spp. (No. 40001 to 40006); the Tangutian bush almond, Amygdalus tangutica (Nos. 39898, 40010, and 40011), a species very resistant to drought and cold; a wild pear, Pyrus ussuriensis (No. 40019), of the melting, juicy type, quite distinct from the characteristic hard, gritty ones of China; a wild species of grape, Vitis sp. (No. 40026), with small bunches of black edible berries; wild hardy apricots, Prunus armeniaca (Nos. 40012 and 40013), which may enable breeders to extend the area of successful apricot culture farther northward; a very hardy dwarf crab apple, Malus sp. (No. 39923), from an altitude of 9,000 feet in Kansu; a wild gooseberry, Ribes alpestre giganteum (No. 39916), growing 15 feet tall, found on dry embankments, a promising hedge plant for the cold semiarid sections of the United States; a very vigorous-growing currant, Ribes sp. (No. 39910), from 7,000 feet altitude, which makes a bush 25 feet tall; a wild cherry, Prunus setulosa (No. 39911), which has possibilities as a stock plant; Potanin's peach, Amygdalus persica potanini (Nos. 40007 to 40009), a bushy form resembling otherwise A. daridiana, which has been so successful as a stock, but which, according to Mr. Meyer, is likely to prove even more drought resistant than the latter species and be useful as a stock in the dry regions of this country; two wild plums, Prunus spp. (Nos. 40014 and 40015), with possibilities for breeding purposes, from Shensi Province; and a citrus species (Nos. 39897 and 40039), with fruits resembling those of a sour mandarin, which would appear to have unusual hardiness. Of shade trees and shrubs for dooryards, Mr. Meyer secured a poplar, Populus suaveolens przewalskii (No. 39900); a beautiful evergreen bush, Daphne tangutica (No. 39914), suited to regions like Long Island; a bush honeysuckle, Lonicera sp. (No. 39915), for low hedges in the colder sections of the country; a Chinese rowan, Sorbus sp. (No. 40021); an ideal cover for shady portions of the dooryard, Schizandra sphenanthera (No. 40025); a valuable late-flowering porch climber with white flowers, Polygonum sp. (No. 40034); and Wilson's horse-chestnut, Aesculus wilsonii (No. 40037), from near Chenghsien, Kansu, a new form of this valuable avenue tree. Of the introductions made through correspondents the following are the most noteworthy: Four varieties of corn, Zea mays (Nos. 39936 to 39939), were collected by Mr. F. Kingdon Ward in the Valley of Nmaihka in Upper Burma, where a remarkable corn culture exists at an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 feet, which appears to be very ancient. On one of these varieties (No. 39937) Mr. Collins has found signs of the characteristic waxy endosperm which has heretofore appeared only on corns from eastern China and nowhere else in the world, and this fact may be of value in determining the origin of this remarkable corn. A surprisingly interesting collection of Spanish corn varieties, Zea mays (Nos. 40259 to 40294), from Spain and the Canary Islands and different portions of the mainland, which was made by Señor Valero, an official agricultural engineer who recently visited this country, has already unusually excited the interest of the corn specialists. So much interest attaches to the spineless cactus that the discovery in Hawaii of a form without spines and with very few spicules, Opuntia sp. (No. 39853), which is supposed to have been brought there by Don Marin and which in comparison with Burbank's spineless cactus has shown its ability to live on dry islands of the Hawaiian group where the Burbank cactus has quickly perished, will interest a wide circle of experimenters. The Porto Rican black walnut, Juglans portoricensis (No. 40236), which matures its nuts in April and May; the red bush nut from New South Wales, Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia (No. 39871); the late-blooming varieties of English walnut, Juglans regia (Nos. 39839 to 39844 and 39881 to 39886), from Grenoble, France, to which our attention was directed by Prof. J. Russell Smith; the Tibetan tree hazelnut, Corylus chinensis (No. 39907), which grows to 100 feet in height and of which Mr. Meyer has secured seeds in China; the wild small-fruited but probably very hardy walnuts from Kansu, Juglans regia (No. 40016) and a new form of the comparatively disease-resistant Chinese chestnut with slender trunk, Castanea sp. (Nos. 40035 and 40036), will be of particular interest to nut specialists. Extensive introductions of sweet-potato varieties have been made. through Mr. Roig from the experiment station at Santiago de las Vegas, where many trials have been conducted with this vegetable, Ipomoea batatas (Nos. 39729 to 39735, 39741 and 39742, 39799 to 39802, 39831 to 39833, 39941 to 39945, 40237 to 40258, and 40388). A Japanese gentleman visiting this country, Mr. Kuwashima, has directed attention to the fact that one of the highest priced vegetables in Japan is the Mitsuba or Mitsuba-jeri, Deringa canadensis (No. 39869), a native of this country as well. The young leaves are eaten boiled and the roots are fried. Dr. Trabut has sent in a wild pear, Pyrus mamorensis (Nos. 40297 and 40331), from the Moroccan forests of Mamora, which is resistant to drought and thrives in sandy noncalcareous soils. Thirteen varieties of plum, Prunus bokhariensis (Nos. 40223 to 40235), adapted to the warm South, from Seharunpur, India, have been sent in by Mr. Hartless. They begin fruiting in May and bear for two months. His Majesty the Ameer of Afghanistan sent through his special envoy, Mr. Jewett, a remarkable collection of dried fruits and seeds. representing varieties of tree and field crops which are grown in his country. The most interesting of these were the samples of dried white mulberry, Morus alba (No. 40215), which in Afghanistan is considered a very important article of food and proved upon analysis to have the food value of dried figs. As Kabul has a cold winter climate and is subjected to intense summer heat, the cultivation of a sweet, drying variety of mulberry may be worth considering for the Great Plains of this country. Those sent by the Ameer were extremely palatable. The best market apple of southern Italy and Sicily is the Limoncella (No. 39829). Dr. Gustav Eisen, who sent in bud wood of it, considers it superior to any variety now grown in southern California, where it is likely to succeed best. Of strictly southern or subtropical introductions, the following are worth mentioning: The black sapote from the Isle of Pines, Diospyros ebenaster (No. 39719); the famous durian of Java, Durio zibethinus (No. 39709), noted at the same time for its delicious flavor and offensive odor; a rare species of anona, Annona scleroderma (No. 40305), from Guatemala, of richer flavor than the soursop; the Harrar fig from Abyssinia, Ficus sp. (No. 39828), which |