The San Francisco call., 1899-03-26

7 ACK FROST Is the deadly enemy
q the grange industry. He is not
content Efrh invoking his Elightv
power . keep the cultivation of
~ that luscious and goIGen-hUed fruit
within the limited confines Of Flor
ia and Southern California. but he occa-
sio-slly .nrades that seni-tropicaI terri
to-y and blows MS blighting breath On
the unprotected grange blossoms. with
disastrous results
At -he Department q Agriculture. an
Informed. science is mastering her forces
s. batrle array with the determination %
resist TIE expansion q the frost line. AID,
e possible 70 plant hardy. fruit-pTodoc!ng
orange trees y the dominions now ruled
by the capricioEs Frost King.
Those interested II the orang nge-growing
Industry are watching with hopeful e1-
pectatlon the experiments row II progress
a. ths Department Of agriculture, which
contemplate the enlargement Of the
orange-p producing regions. Il Is possible,
sDd quite probable. that Ecience viii point
the wa tC re cultivation q oranges Of
tbs very best quality and favor. which
Enay be successfully and pToatablE grown
rot on1y y a. parts q The Southern
States. 5Et a5so l. tie Eastern and middle
divisions cf the United States.
=.
W-eober ard &T. " T. Swlngle. of The
vegstable pathological division q the de-
lar-u:ent ! vas permitted . visit tie
hothClses q the department where the
eIperi UeEts II orange culture are n
progress. Tre work Is intensely interest
irE. and tnus far ire results have been
exceedingly encouraging IN the direction
OF succe s5fuIly combating the deadly as
saUlts of the Monarch q Ice Land.
The Intention is 20 mary The beeuti-
ful ard yoluPIuous Indian River orange
zrd golden fruit of that general varIeiy
late grange Citrus trtfolfata). 4 combi-
nation % their respective qualities.
through the process of hybridization, IS
expected 70 produce the desired results
and perhaps reTolutlonlze orange culture.
Thus far the experiments are n the n
fantIie stage. as the nyDr!Gs exhibited 20
ne are scarcely two years old The gen
GRAFTON Of an orange tree IS hve yearg
hence Il will be three years more befOT@
the fruit from these hybrids viii show tbs
practical effects Of the crossing Of the two
somewhat extreme varieties OF the
golden fruit.
''Yre. Go not expect 70 grow oranges in
the ice-bould regions Of the Kloncike.
said Hr. Webber, nor DO we expect 20
crowd all Of the summer resorts OF the
Jersey coast and transform that mos
cuito-producing section Of country into a
f7ourishing orange grove. but our expert
raerts warrant Us in believing that we
may be able 10 produce e marketable Va
riety OF oranges. which may be groTn
considerably farther north than at pres
ent. Understand. do not mean % say
that we expect TO grow oranges OF the
finest quality and favor as far north as
New York. I am justified IN believing.
however. that we may in the course Of
time be able 70 extend the orange pro-
ducing area as far north as Georgia ana
probably South Carolina.
In the meantime Mr. Weber had con-
Quoted me into his orange experimental
ation. located in one Of the greenhouses
of the department. II was carefully lock-
ed and protected. and the temperature
was about 20 degrees. The benches were
filed with plants, averaging about three
feet IN height There were fine speci-
mems Of the trifoIiate. the Florida orange
and the hybrid. the latter showing me
effects of the crossing or hyorlolzalioh Ils ia
a combination OF the characteristics OF
the parent plants.
In view of the great injury caused to