The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-01-12
NEW CITRUS FRUITS.
Results Of Experiments by AsrieuIt-
ural Experts.

Washington. ID. C.-The annual re-
port of the secretary of agriculture
contains the following information
concerning the development of new
varities of citrus fruits as the result
Of experiments carried on by the de-
partment.
The two great freezes Of the winter
Of 1894 and 1895, which killed to the
ground practically every orange and
lemon tree in Florida except in the ex-
treme southern part Of the state, serv-
ed to emphasize the great Importance
OF securing hardy varities of these
fruits. Experiments were started by
the department, and the results which
have been obtained are very valuable
and encouraging. 1t has been shown
that valuable hardy races can be. pro-
duced by crossing the very hardy cold
resisting trifoliate orange with the diff
ferent varities of the ordinary sweet
orange Two of these hybrids which
were found to produce valuable fruits
were preparedhrd lhrdl hrd hrd hrd
were propogated. and in the spring of
1906 distributed broadcast to the inter
Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, South
ern Tennessee and Arkansas, eastern
and southern Texas, and regions of
low altitude in Arizona, New Mexico,
Washington and Oregon. These fruits
being different from any known group
OF citrus fruit, were named citranges,
and the two varities distributed were
the Willis"
The rusts citrange is a beautiful,
smooth, round fruit, with a reddish
flush, being very similar in size and
appearance to the tangerine. 1t makes
a good citrangeade. similar o the
lemonade and is especially valuable to
use for culinary purposes. The Will
Its citrange is more like a lemon in
appearance and quality: it is to be
recommended for use in making cit
rangeade, pies, etc, and may be serv-
ed on occasion in the place Of lemons
Both the rusks and the Willis cit
ranges are nearly seedless.
Four other varities of hardy oranges
or citranges, have been obtained, each
possessing special features of merit
One of these produces fruit so sim
liar in size and appearance to the or
binary orange that it can only be dis
tinguished by an expert This fruit
has been named. the Morton. The Nor
ton citrange produces an exceedingly
juicy fruit, of the texture which is
almost totally seedless. AS in the
case OF the rusks and the Willis cit
ranges, it makes a delightful cit
renegade and can be used for cult
nary purposes. Trees of this variety
will be distributed to growers in the
spring of 1906.
Another variety similar to the Nor
ton in appearance. but different in
flavor and tree characters, is also be-
lieved to be valuable and will be prop
Ogated for the distribution as soon
as possible.
Within recent years the lime has be-
come an important commercial fruit,
but as yet the trees grown are mainly
seedlings and the fruits are very vari
able in shape. size and quality. Some
markets are coming to demand fruits
OF a certain size. and it is desirable
that growers should plant varieties of
known characters. Two new seedlings
producing fruit uniform in size and
OF good quality have been secured in
the departments experiments; these
will receive names and will be distrib-
uted in lime growing regions. One of
these produces a small fruit and the
other a large fruit In both cases the
fruit is produced mainly near the ex-
terror of the tree, which is a charac-
ter of Importance. as it greatly facil-
itates the harventing.