The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-05

TO the counsction between the bitter aud
the sweet orange. Ars they such dis
tinct fruite Vi plants nc to amount TO
distinct specieef or are they descend
Nn.e from common stock Ia there
aay aian OF interchange or Of Yeversion
Gallesio, who is looked upon as a most
careful observer of the orange family.
Gays thst during long ssriss OF yeara
hs sowod pips Of swest oranges
taken sometimes from sweet oranges
grated ON bittsr orsngs stocks and
lemon stocks. and the resrlt always was
trees bearing swset oranges. He de-
olares that for GO years, around his town
of Finale, tho same result has been obs
served, and be says. There lie no in
stance Of bitter-orenge tree from ueed
of sweet oranges. nor OF q sweet-orangs
tree from the seed of bitter oranges. In
100, the orange trees OF Finale having
been killed by frost. the practice OF rails.
ing sweet orange trees from seed was
introduced and every one Of these
plants produced tho sweet-juiced fruit"
These statements of competent
authority would appear to DO conclusive.
but such is not the case. Mr.. Maofsy'
den, the author of the Flora OF Jamsics,
another competent observer, says that
lit 10 a well-estsblishsd fact. familiar TO
every one who has been any length of
time In tho island, that the seed of the
sweet orange very frequently grows up
into o tree bearing ths bitter fruit.
numerous well-attested instances OF
which have come to my own knowl-
edge. | am not aware, however, that
the seed of the bitter orange has
sver grown up into the sweet
iruted variety" He therefore con-
cludes that the bite. orange
10 the original stock. and points out that
in certain soils the awest orange may be
raised from seed, but in other soils the
fruit OF the trees SO raised is more or
less bitter. This fully accords with the
behavior OF other domesticatsd plants,
in which we find that, undsr some cir
cunstances. hersdity Ia very strong,
while under others it lie very weak. The
conclusion is then forced upon us that
the sweet orange and the bitter orange
are only varieties of a wild stock, which
there is every reason to believe is q
native OF Southern China and Burmah.
POSSIBILITIES OF CULTIVATION
Two alternatives seem TO be perfectly
feasible with respect to the introduction
OF the sweet orange into Europe; as
9alleaio sage, it may have followed the
bitter orange from CHM, being brought
into tho Nediterrrnean region about the
beginning of the Fourteenth century.
Or, eeeing that the hitter orange was
itSelf partly domsssicsted, further cul-
turs by the peoplss OF the different
countries may have induced different
varieties Independently OF each other.
One has only to stand BY fruit store
and pick out orange after orange, varys
ing ia size, color. shape and flavor to be
ready to accept this.
Az this orange fourishes in any mod.
erssey good soil, we'll drained but
moist. there are many regions suitable
for Its culture. China and Japan come
first; next the islands OF the Indian
ocean; next perhaps the Mediterranean
region, Portugal, the Azores. When
Captain COX Visited the Paci6
islands the orange was but little
known. Now it's range embraces
not only those islands, but the conti-
nent OF Australia and the islands OF
New Zealand. The Spanish brought
the orange to the West Indies, and
thence it reached the mainland, where
1t hourishes. except for such catastro-
Plies az the recent one in Florida. CALI
sornia siso has become AN important
center of its cultivation, so that North
America. which formerly depended on
West Indian fruit, ordinarily has
enough grown within it's own bounds ,
to supply its wants.
Looking back at the history thus brief
ly given, it may be said that the orange
as domesticated plant is in its infancy
compared with many others found in
our gardens. What it may become
under name careful selection we can
scarcely foreshadow. but perfectly seed
lees varieties, and one in which the seeds
ara collected in capsule at the apex,
show an smenability to human selection
and culture which may result ia th Q
production OF a fruit surprising even the |
best existing specimens