The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-09-17
SEEK A NEW ORANGE.
Experiments Going On in the Agri-
cultural Department.
Success of Present EaoFss wsuIa
RewoIufsonfs@ and Expams sac
OranRe-Growfsw Kmawsfxy
In Ghe Mewzh.

Man Is seeking TO improve natures
work upon the orange. and It'll likely
that be will be able TO do IL If sue
cess crowns experiments now in prog
reSs the orange will become hardy
fruit. able 10 grow and bear even as
far porfh as Canada. with skin that
will peel off as easily as tangerine's.
and perhaps devoid Of the seeds that
now threaten the peril of appendicitis.
Such a recreation of this luscious
fruit-for that is what II would amount
io-would deserve to rank with the
greatest maryels Of the end of the cen
fury. IL would rpvOsutionige and ex-
pand the orange-growing industry. and
remove all danger from the frosts and
freezes that now either blight OF en-
tirely destroy the trees srd their fruit
in the states where they are grown.
The freeze in the southern states in
1894 and 1895 destroyed every orange
tree. causing a loss upon the crop ex-
pected OF nearly s5.0OOoOo and dam
ige to the industry in general that has
been computed al the extraordinary
fgure of s75.OOO.OOO. II viii be FIVE
years yet before orange-growing is on
i paying basis and ten 10 fifteen years
before the orange crop is as large as it
was at the time of the disastrous
weather.
Since that time the agricultural de-
partment has been experimenting in
the cross-fertilization of oranges in the
hope of producing one or more yarie-
ties that will resist the attacks of frost
md that will possess the other quail
ties not found in the fruit of to-day.
The practical part of the work is be-
ing conducted under the supervision Of
II. ]. Weber and W T. Swingle. spe-
.ial agents Of the division Of vegetable
physiology and pathology.
u TO the present the.sypsrimental
processes have been productive of the
results expected. but the most inter
.sting and delicate stages are yet TO
come. In the greenhouse there are at
least 1000 hybrid grOwths from the
seeds that have been crossed. and this
| spring many Of these will be taken
TO the southern states and grated on
the orange trees growing there Then
! AT least three years must elapse be-
fore the grated trees will begin 10 bear
the fruit that is 10 be hardy. sweet.
IoOse-skinned. and perhaps seedless-
/ In 1892 Messrs. Weber and Swingle
were in the south studying the diseases
/ that affect oranges. and the need of a
harder orange than the usual varieties
I was brought to their attention. This
I was emphasized BY the disastrous
/ frosts of 1894 and 1895. The growers
/ had sought 10 overcome their foe by
selecting for planting and developing
seeds from only the hardest of the
/ trees growing IN their fields. but even
these succumbed to the severe attacks
/ Of the invading cold.
In the meantime experiments con-
Quoted by Mr.. Weber IN this city
turned out unfavorably. through no
+ fault OF hi5 own IL was not until 1897
that he succeeded in hybridiziug he
Z orange in a way TO insure the favorable
result of planting or grating. He had
found. prior TO the hybridizing. that the
I japanese trifoliate orange. although
lis fruit IS small and of littLe value ex-
. cept fer preserves. is delicious. and 50
hardy thatitcan be grown without pro-
lection as far north as Philadelphia A
I number of these trees had been planted
in the department grounds. and. in
spite OF cold. had borne fruit. small
and bitter. IL occurred 10 him TO cross
the Japanese variety with the different
kinds that flourish in the south TO get
the hardy quality. The practical work
of hybridizing them commenced.
II the seedlings that are grated on
the southern trees develop fruit that
cannot be killed in blossom OF maturity
by the winters in that section. the sci.
~HtisiS will feel that they have been
sufficiently repaid for all their efforts
Orange growing then would not be at
tended by the great risks that now en-
compass it. In addition. If hardy or
ange can be produced that will live il
the north. and vet have the sweetness:
and juiciness OF the southern fruit
then the work OF nature will have beer
wholly improved by the hand aud in
telligencs of man.-WaShingto Star.