Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-08


 ranges" - Promise of the Develop ment of MarmaIade Industry In the
 United States.
 Americans who dote on Scotch mar malade and find delight in eating lus- cious oranges and tangerines from Cal ifornia and Florida have further feasts in store for them in Uncle Sam's great cornucopia of new fruits developed by the scientists in the government em- nloy, says the New York Posts Wash ington correspondent. The bother and cost of importing marmalade from Flu rope were among the causes which in- duced the prosecution of scientific in- quiries to determine whether new type of fruit suitable for marmalade making could not be grown in the
 United States, and such a plant has now been obtained by hybridization. By similar processes new types of har- dy orange and lemon trees have been developed of a sort to withstand the sudden extremes of cold which in re- cent years crippled and almost exter- minated the orange industry in Flor ida.
 The aim of these investigations has not been to supplant the elegant Cali fornia and Florida varieties which find such a large sale in all parts of the United States. but to supplement the range of those varieties by developing new kinds of more hardy nature. The two great freezes. in the winters of 1894 and 1895 in Florida killed to the ground practically every orange and lemon tree in that state. except in the extreme southern portion about Key West. Throughout the ten years since then the most painstaking experiments have been in progress to produce new hardy variety which would withstand the cold and consequently be suitable for growing farther north.
 By crossing the hardy cold resist ing trifoliate orange with varieties of the ordinary sweet orange two hybrids have now been obtained and found to produce valuable fruits when propa- gated. Specimens of these orange trees have within the last few months been sent to growers in the gulf and south Atlantic states as far north as South Carolina, southern Tennessee and Ar kansas and the eastern and southern portions of Texas For further tests other plants were sent to Arizona and New Mexico and to regions of low alti- tude as far north as Oregon and Wash ington state. These hybrids. being different from any known group of citrus fruits. were not called oranges. but were given the combination name of "citranges.7
 One of the hybrids is called the "Rusk." after a former secretary of agriculture. md Is described as very similar in size and appearance to the well known tangerine It possesses the same reddish flush. Is smooth and round. of good quality for culinary pur. poses and Is especially suitable for making a drink similar to lemonade. The other hybrid. called the ''willitS." is more like a lemon in quality and ap- pearance and may be used as a subSti. tute for lemons in making pies as well, as lemonade.
 Commenting upon the prospective value of these new plants for general growth in the United States. Professor B. T. Galloway. chief of the bureau of plant industry. department of agricul- ture. recently said:
 ''0Be Of the principal aims in devel. oping these citranges has been to pro vide a tree which will enable southern people. for instance. to have fruits in their back yards an the year round. The development by hybridization of hardy plants susceptible of cultivation farther north than the old varieties will have four important results. First. in providing fruit for pies. mar nslsdes and other preserves. which the individual housewife can make from fruit grown in the yard of her home; second in developing a plant which may be used to form heHxps e. ther Of an ornamental sort about the home or to construct fnclosures within which to keep farm stock. third t1 provide plant which in the hands sf professional growers wiH establish a marualade industry Id this eouutry which win make us Independent Of for eign sources of supply. and. fourth tIse deveispmeut of oEname1tsI trees for per<cns uho wish the1n for fbe a1oru- r1rrs nf fl.. fz---r. -f.,-ss sf.s. -