The San Francisco call., 1899-03-26
To Make the Orange So Hardy<<<~~<<<><%<
That 1t Will Defy Jack Frost


are Intermediate II character between the
parents. and d. nor exhibit the over
vhelmiEg PTeponcsre1ce q one or the
other parent shown hv tte hyb-ids 4 the
orange and poEe.o- Il these hybTids are
produced in sufE cient nun nbers i nay BE
reasonably expected that among them
may be found some having the desired
CcTnbina ton o. characters-that ss. the
hardness Of The trIfoliate orange and the
size and quality of fruit Of the ordinary
orange ard lemon.
In undertaking 70 hybrtdize orange
plants due regard i given 70 the fact that
in rnanv plants the stauens and pis-
It's. when Il -ae same flower. mature a
different times. II manipulating orange
flowers ma TETe buds. nearly ready 70
open. are selected. The tips are carefully
pried apart until the stamers are exposed
In these flowers the anthars are attached
10 the fiameEts by very slender threads,
which are easily broken. SO that the sim
plest method OF removing the stamens IS
70 pull them of with fine pointed forceps.
To cross fertiIize the orange IL IS neces-
sary 20 open the flower buds Z little pre-
maturely. before the stamens have al
lowed the pollen 10 escape. and tertilize
Then transfer the pollen from the other
species 70 the stigma by means OF d
brush. stick or blovpipe-
During the process OF enasculation
great care must be exercised not 20 open
the stameIss and accidentally pollinate the
flower. The flowers selected for emascu-
istion and hybr3dizati0n should be full
sized. Those on the end OF q twig fire.
cuently fruit best. IN almost every in
stance the hybTids show greater vigor en-
larged growth and more fruit-bearing
characteristics than the parent plants In
come OF the hybrids the characteristics
Of the common orange predominats. In
~ he r-FCya7raEG r< Ha --f<r1fu%a s=
more marked The majority OF the hy-
brids. however. show such gratifying re-
suits as 10 justify the Secretary OF
Agriculture in stimulating and encouT-
aging the pending experiments 10 the fun
extent Of the resources Of the department
The results looked for cannot be accom-
plished without the expenditure Of consid-
cradle time, patience and money. II may
be ten. fifteen or twenty years before the
combination sought for matersaiizes
These experiments are not confined TO the
orange. but crosses in grape fruit. lines
lemons and the dainty tangerine are
undergoing scientific process, so that re-
markabie transformations are liable TO
occur in this particular department Of the
vegetable kingdom.
Among the possibilities IS a successful
cross Of the juicy and seedless navel or
ange with the loOse-skiuned tangerine A
combination Of these two choice varieties
the consumption OF oranges in the upper
as well as the lower classes Of society
At present oranges on a dinner table or
a. a reception are used largely for decora-
tive purposes. II is too much trouble for
the ordinary guest al social functions TO
bother with an orange. Besides. the in
conveniences attending the removal Of
the skin are greater than the pleasure Of
eating the fruit, so that a hostess is apt
TO have but few requests for oranges from
her guests. 4 combination Of the lus-
ciousness Of the navel variety and the
easily removed skin Of the tangerine
would undoubtedly increase the popular
ity Of the orange at swell social functions
Within a few weeks Mr.. Webber will
proceed southwark with some Of the we'll
developed hybrids and plant them at va
rious points in Florida and Georgia 70 test
their hardness. The plants TO be thus
tested are about two years old, and they
are expected 10 begin bearing fruit within
the next two or three years. Their de-
velopment will be eagerly noted By ali the
orange-groTers OF the country who are in
sympathy with the movement TO produce
an orange tree that viii Withstand the
treacherous touch OF frost.