UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 AORICUL'URAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 [In order to render the results of investigations 
 and experiments conducted by the Agricultural De- 
 partment of the University of California more quick- 
 ly and more generally available than has heretofore 
 been done through the annual or biennial reports, 
 it is proposed to embody hereafter, in the form of 
 ''Bulletins," to be issued as o f ten as may spem de- 
 sirable, reports of results, as well as such other discus- 
 s ; ons. information or answers to questions as miy 
 be of general interest. It is intended to make these 
 bulletins, as a rule, short enough for insertion in the 
 daily or weekly papers of the State, and proof-slips 
 of the same will he regularly nrniled to paper- apply- 
 ing therefor. The substance ot these bulletins will 
 ultimately be embodied in a more complete and con- 
 nected form, in the annual reports of the College of 
 Agriculture.] 
 
 Notice Regarding Distribution of Plants. 
 
 Upwards of 250 applications for plants hereto 
 fore offered for distribution having been re- 
 ceived at this date, notice is given that the 
 supply of all but the following is exhausted: 
 Catalpa, New Zealand flix, ramie, insect powder 
 plant, and Angola Panic (evergreen millet). 
 These can still be supplied on the conditions 
 heretofore announced. 
 
 Among the applications received, some few 
 localities are represented by ten to as many as 
 eighteen distinct applications. Iii accordance 
 with the objects of this distribution, viz: To 
 test the success or failure of plants that promise 
 to be of economic importance, in as many 
 localities as possible, it is obvious that distinc- 
 tions must be made in favor of different 
 localities, as against multiplying the invoices 
 sent to any one. Again, applications are some- 
 times received asking for plants entirely un- 
 ndapted to the climate of the locality concerned. 
 The supply being limited, it is but Mr to give 
 precedence, in such cases, to such regions as can 
 practically he considered favorable to the 
 success of the plants. 
 
 Seed of the Quinoa Plant. 
 
 Through the liberality of Mr. Wm. N. Meeks, 
 of Oakland, the station has received for trial and 
 distribution a sack of fresh seed of the "Quinoa"* 
 plant of Chile. This seed will be mailed to ap- 
 plicants in packages of one-half pound or one 
 pound, as may be desired, upon remittance of 
 the corresponding expense — 10 cents or 20 cents. 
 Larger quantities may be forwarded to a few 
 who may wish to make the trial on a larger 
 scale. 
 
 The Quinoa plant {Chenopodi'um Quinoa) be- 
 *Pronounced Kinnoh-a. 
 
 longs to the natural family which, among im- 
 portant culture plants, such as the beet and 
 spinach, contains a large proportion of the most 
 common weeds, viz. : The various kinds of 
 goosefoot, the "lamb's quarter," and others. 
 The Quinoa plant is very similar to a kind of 
 "lainbs quarter" that grows abundantly on the 
 Sacramento river, and is esteemed as a good 
 feed for sheep and fowls. But the seeds of the 
 Quinoa are larger, being about the size of a 
 mustard seed. This seed, which is borne in 
 great abundance, and when cleaned of its dark- 
 colored husk is white, is a common article of 
 food in the high pkteau and mountain districts 
 of Chili and Peru; it is made into cakes, or 
 eaten boiled as porridge, or in soups. Its flavor is 
 somewhat peculiar — "beany" — butitis very nu- 
 tritious. As it will grow in any climate adapted 
 to th" potato, it has been cultivated to some ex- 
 tent in France and Germany but for its leaves 
 (which are used as a pot-herb like spinach, and 
 for forag' ) rather than for the seed, the latter 
 being there chiefly used as food for fowls. 
 These would probably also be its main uses in 
 California, where it would find its most con- 
 genial climates in the coast region, *nd in the 
 higher valleys of the Sierras. A high summer 
 temperature is not favorable to. 
 
 According to the statement of a letter ad- 
 dressed to Messrs. Dickson de Wolf & Co., of 
 San Francisco, by the sender of the present 
 invoice of seed, the latter is sown in spring, 
 broadcast, on light soils, then lightly brushed 
 in, and irrigated gently so as not to form a 
 crust The seed comes up quickly, and accord- 
 ing to European practice, is then thinned out, 
 first to four, and later to twelve inches apart. 
 It is also sometimes sown in seed beds and then 
 transplanted into drills. The development of 
 the plant is rapid, like that of spring grain. 
 When the seed is ripe the plant is cut 
 and thrashed like grain; the separation 
 of the husk is usually a separate operation, as 
 in the case of rice or barley, but the seed 
 now received is hulless and white. 
 
 W T hen irrigated, after cutting the stem for 
 use as a pot-herb or for forage, the plant con- 
 tinues to put out fresh leaves during the season 
 until frost. The Quinoa will readily bear 
 rich and freshly manured soils, but does well on 
 land only moderately rich. Now that a sup- 
 ply of good seed has been secured, its merits 
 for cultivation in California should be thor- 
 oughly tested. E. W. Hilgard. 
 Berkeley, Feb. 2, 1884.