Trigonella gladiata, Stev. Trigonella. Leguminosie. This plant also resembles fenugreek in odor. It has been cultivated with some success at the Experiment Station at Rouiba.
Triehinium osbile, Lindl. Yellow hairy spikes. Ama rantacem. Stout perennial herb, not easily affected by drought. Affords a rich succulent herbage even in very dry weather, of which stock are very fond. Interior of New South Wales and South Australia and Victoria. Reference: "Forage Plants of Australia," p. 85. Introduced by J. H. Maiden, Sydney Botanical Garden, March 1, 1904.
Trichinium °holmium, Gaudich. Silver bush. Ama rantacere. An erect undershrub 1i to 4 feet. Flower spikes globular. Has remarkable drought-enduring quali ties. Will grow in the driest of soils when once fairly established. Valuable as a forage plant. Arid interior of all Australian colonies. Introduced by J. II. Maiden, Sydney Botanical Garden, March 1, 1904.
tiler nanus, Forsk. Dwarf Furze. Leguminosm. From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, December, 1898. A much smaller species than Ulex Europerus. It is of spreading habit and thrives in moist situations, even in swampy places, where the other species would not grow. It might prove of use as a winter soiling crop in regions inclined to be barren, but its utility is likely to be local.
Phew tuberosus, Caldas. Ulluco. Chenopodiacem. The ulluco of the Peruvians is grown on the Sierras, 3,000 feet above sea-level. The tubers are considered very nutritious by the common people and are eaten by them mixed with salt meat. Although the tubers are much smaller than the potato, they are worthy of consideration for breeding purposes. Various distinct varieties exist in Peru. Introduced by Mr. Fairchild in 1899.
Vicia angustifolia, Clos. Vetch. "Vesce a feuille etroite" (narrow-leaved vetch). Leguminosie. From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, December, 1898.
Vicia biennia, Linn. Biennial vetch. "Vesce hisannu elle." Leguminosm. From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, December, 1898. Biennial and perennial, hardy, very large species, yields much fodder, demands the support of some other plant with firm, erect stalk ; very scanty in seeds.
Virtu calcarata, Desf. Vetch. Leguminosm. This vetch is native to the Mediterranean region. The seed of this particular sort was secured at Boghar, in Algeria, where the climate is very dry. This is one of the species introduced into culture by Dr. Trabut.
Vicia Ervilia, Willd. Leguminosm. From Cantle, Crete. Received through Mr. D. G. Fairchild, May 17, 1901. Oro bus. A forage plant very largely cultivated in the island of Crete. It is sown like any ordinary vetch, and the seeds are fed to the oxen and cattle.
Vicia fulgens, Battaud. Scarlet vetch. Leguminosm. An Algerian vetch with handsome red flowers. It is an annual and grows with extraordinary vigor, reaching a height of 6 to 8 feet and yielding an abundance of excel lent forage. Doctor Trabut reports that it yields forty tons of green fodder to the acre.
Vicia hirta, Balb. Vetch. Leguminosm. This plant, which is usually considered to be a hairy form of Vicia lutes, occurs very commonly in Algeria and has been in troduced into cultivation by Doctor Trabut. It reaches a
height of 16 to 18 inches at the experiment station at Rouiba.
Vicia Narbonensis, Linn. Narbonne vetch. "Vesta de Narbonne." Leguminosre. From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, December, 1898. Annual ; very vigorous and very early, remarkable in its stalks, its foliage and its general appearance, which recalls that of a small bean, but earlier. To be sown early in spring in the North. In more temperate climates than ours (latitude of Paris) it may and even should be sown in autumn. This species has been confounded for some time with V. ma crocarpa, and sold under that name. It is generally sown alone, hut it may be found advantageous to have it enter mixtures for green cutting, which are to he sown early in spring, or to mix it with oats or rye or some other cereal grass.
Vicia sepium, Linn. Hedge vetch. Leguminosm. From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, December, 1898. Perennial. A common plant (in France) along bor ders and paths in the woods ; it prefers shade and mois ture, but succeeds equally well in good wholesome and even dry soils. Seeds scarce.
Xanthosoma atrovirens, C. Koch & Bourbe. Yautias or Taniers. Aracem. Varieties of this common tropical American food plant and its two very closely related spe cies, X. sagitteefolium, Schott, and an undescribed species, have been introduced into the southern states from Porto Rico. The yield is about 8 to 15 tons of edible tubers per acre ; and in quality these are equal or superior in many respects to potatoes. This is thought by some to be the oldest crop in the world and the only one which never produces seeds. About fifty varieties were culti vated in the western hemisphere at the time of the dis covery of America by Columbus. It deserves to become a staple vegetable for export from the tropics and tem perate regions. (See Bulletin No. 6, Porto Rico Experi ment Station. Barrett.) Literature.
There is a large amount of information on plant introduction scattered through the periodicals to which reference cannot be made here ; the follow ing are the most important books : Charles Pickering, Chronological History of Plants ; Man's Record of His Own Existence Illus trated Through Their Names, Uses and Companion ship, Boston, 1879 ; Paillieux et Bois, Le Potager d'un Curieux, Paris ; Baron Ferd von Mueller, Select Extra-Tropical Plants Readily Eligible for Industrial Culture or Naturalization, 9th Edition, Robert S. Brain, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1895, pp. 654 ; Inventories Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, of foreign seeds and plants imported by the Section of Seed and Plant Introduction, and later by the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction and Distribu tion, comprising 841 pages in all ; appearing as bulletins of the United States Department of Agri culture. Von Mueller's is the only comprehensive work on the subject, and it is a pity that the work is difficult to secure.