The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-12
A NEW GRAFT IN ORANGES.
PROF. WEBER TO MAKE A TEST
CASE OF A HYBRID PLANT.

TrifoIiate Orange Grated on the
Sweet Orange Makes Harder
Tree which May Produce in GeOr-
gia and CarOIina-SeR Island Cot
ton Crossed With short staple Pro-
duces Excellent Results - Some
New Hybrfds in Politics.
Washington. March 11.-(Special)-With-
in a few days Prof Weber of the depart
ment of agriculture will leave here for
the South with number of hybrid orange
trees, which are expected to resist the
blighting touch of Jack Frost.
If the experiments now going on in the
agricultural department, with a view TO
the development of the orange culture are
successful it may be possible to grow the
best varieties of sweet oranges in Georgia
and South Carolina. The process of hy-
bridization is intensely interesting to those
who are engaged in the cultivation of
oranges, and the progress thus far made
by the experts in the department is very
encouraging.
This subject has been treated in several
magazine and newspaper articles and,
from a scientific standpoint 1t seems pos
slble to make a successful cross between
the common sweet orange Of Indian river
with the trifoliate orange, the latter
rugged, hardy plant, which bears a small
fruit, which can only be used for preserv-
ing. The trifoliate grows abundantly in
Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The trees are strong and vigorous, and
they make an excellent hedge, better
than the Usage orange.
Qualities of the New Orange.
BY crossing the sweet orange with the
trlfoliatG, Prof. Weber expects to pro-
duce an orange of the best quality and
flavor, which will resist the frost and grow
as far north as Georgia and South Caro-
lima, perhaps farther north.
While at the department of agriculture
a few days ago, Mr.. Weber showed me
| some of the hybrid orange trees, which
he intends to take South with him in few
days. These trees are but 2 years old
but they are fully three feet in hight. He
| exhibited the sweet orange plant, first
| then the trifoliate, and last the hybrid,
or the cross between the sweet orange and
| the trifoliate. The seedlings were all plant
| ed at the same time, and the result shows
I that the hybrid is even more vigorous
| than either of its parents. The hybrids
| have developed the characteristic vigor
| of the trifoliate and at the same time
preserved the principal features of the
sweet orange. 1t will take three years
| more before these trees begin to bear fruit,
| but in the meantime these young trees are
to be carried South and planted at vari-
| Gus points in Northern Florida and South
ern Georgia to test their frost resisting
| qualities.
| New Cotton Plant.
Some interesting experiments are also
| going on in connection with the cultiva-
| ton of cotton. Mr. Weber showed me
some beautiful specimens of hybrid cot
ton plants. By crossing the sea island
| cotton with the short staple. or upland
cotton. gratifying results have been OBJ
tanned. In the hybrid the staple is not
| quite as long as the ordinary sea Island
| cotton, but IL Is considerably longer than
the short staple variety, and, in addition,
| It is heavier and of superior quality. The
| plants of the hybrid cotton are twice the
size of the largest sea island plants, show
| ing that the hybrids are more vigorous
| than their parents.
| These experiments in cotton growing are
| not confined to the hot houses of the ag-
ricuItural department, for a number of
cotton planters In South Carolina and
Georgia are keeping right abreast with
the department in this work. Some of the
| finest specimens of hybrid cotton are pro-
! duced in South Carolina. These hybrids
| are expected to produce q better quality
of cotton, and each plant will probably
produce twice as much as the ordinary.
sea island plant 1t is expected that hybrid
cotton can be grown in the climate and
under the same conditions as now prevail
in the upland cotton belts of the South
Hybrids I'm Politics.
In this era of scientific development and
territorial expansion we may expect some
remarkable developments as the result OF
the experiments now going on in national
politics. The capitalization of the Republi-
can and the gold standard Democrat pro-
| duced MeKinleyism and a cross between
| Tammany Hall and the free silver Dem.
ocracy may yet produce a hybrid of q
startling variety.
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