The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-02-14
lit and the scientific success attai-i
IN the development of the Rusk ano

IN the development of the Rusk an0
- hybrid citranges led to further
with other hybrids. This has re-
ed in the production of the Morton
tran@e, SO named in recognition OF
the valuable services to agriculture Of
the late Hon. J. Sterling Morton Of
Nebraska, secretary Of agriculture un-
der Cleveland.
The experiments iu this Instance
we're made at Eustis, Fla, the original
fruit from which this hybrid developed
having been a cross of the trifoliagc
orange with pollen of the sweet orange.
This cross fruit produced forty seed
lings, of which eleven developed I'LL
mistakable signs Of the true hybrid III
exhibiting clearly intermediate char
acter of foliage. AS a dessert fruit or
FOR eating at any time it has been
found to be much superior to the two
citranges developed prior to last Win
ter. while it is as desirable for max
Ing 4 beverage similar to lemonade Or
limeade. Its rather firm membranes.
separating the segments Of the fruit.
permit easy extraction Of the pulp
with a spoon, thereby putting it at
once into the class with grape fruit: 1t
has very slight bitter taste and when
served with sugar can be made to
meet every demand Of individual taste.
For ordinary eating it is little more
sour than the ordinary sweet orange,
but not any more so than some of the
80 called sweet oranges which find
their way to the markets Of the big
cities. It is practically seedless fruit.
A feature Of interest to consumers Of
this new fruit is the probability that 1t
will be less expensive than oranges,
for instance, because greater hardness
Of the hybrid makes possible its cult.
vation in sections where trees Of SINH
lar species are killed by frost. While
the cold resistant quality Of the Nor,
ton has not been tested to it's limit, the
record Of experiments shows that it
went through all the winters at Glen
st. Mary, Fla, since 1899 without los
ing its leaves. Several severe freezes
which were disastrous to other species
and seriously affected the orange in.
dustry even much farther south oc'
Cured during this time. Buds eight
months old experienced without no
ticeable effect a temperature going
down to Is degrees. Experiments In
Georgia returned similarly successful
results in temperature falling to 8 de-
grees, showing that it can be grown
not only wherever the orange is sue
cessful, but in additional localities
where the orange could not survive the
low temperature. This is an important
feature as respects the availability OF
the fruit as a market commodity, q
fact which is Of general interest at
such times as a great freeze in the
south, when an orange crop may be
killed off In a single night.
Pineapples, which enter so largely in
to table use, either as fresh fruit, a
preserve or in the preparation Of a
beverage, have also been the subject
of experiments by the fruit specialists
of the department. When the experts
began this work some years back there
was no technical literature on the sub
iect available for their guidance. Ex-
periments at West Palm Beach did not
result as we'll as anticipated when first
started, so finally the hybrid seed OBJ
tanned in the course Of crossing expert
ments was planted in a government
greenhouse in Washington. When the
young hybrid plants had reached
height Of from six to eight inches they
were shipped south and transplanted
at the subtropical garden at Miami,
Fla. Heretofore it has been asserted
by growers that eight years was the
time required for pineapple to bear
fruit, but these experiments lave dem
onstrated that it can be done in four
years if the plants are properly han
died and nurtured.
To test the progress made from year
to year pineapples grown from these
experimental plants have been brought
to Washington and compared with the
best fruits obtainable In the Washing
ton markets. In every case the ex-
perts found the flavor Of the hybrids
to be superior, and from this they have
deduced the idea that the commercial
line has been grown SO many years
without seed propagation that the old
varieties have deteriorated. To main
tain the highest quality return to
seed propagation is recommended by
some of the experts, so that recent ex-
periments may turn out not only TO
have produced new hybrids, but to
have started regeneration Of the old
species which had received minimum
Of scientific care in the rush Of com
mercial Development,
ConquerinE the Colorado.
The first Of the great American riv.