The Washington times., 1913-10-06
TROPICAL PLANTS :.
KEPT IN . CAPITAL
"Warm BIooded" Fruits Are
Raised Here With Aid of
Greenhouses.

Although the rigors of a Washington
winter are too severe for the outdoor
cultivation of tropical plants all the
year round, the raising of these warm
olooded' plants and trees of the tropics
has long been popular in the Capital
Chief among the growers of tropical
fruits and flowers, and more especially
citrus fruits. Is the United States. De-
partment of Agriculture. which main
,afns. at it's greenhouses along street,
choice collection of citrus fruit trees
and tropical plant life, which wave
warm and green under steam heat all
winter. though the melting snow may
De dripping from the greenhouse caves.
Among the private growers of citrus
and tropical fruits, is E. H. Corson, of
1916 Clifton street northwest, who has
quite collection of lemon trees, large
and small, along with a good-sized fig
tree.
To Get Lemons As Gifts.
A select number Of Corson's friends
will get homegrown lemons for Christ
mas presents this year The lemons.
which weigh from a pound to twenty
ounces. are growing on Corson's twenty
nve-year-old lemon tree in his private
conservatory at the Corson home
1ust at this time, the tree sports seyen
pig. green lemons. They are absolutely
prize winners. as far as size is concern
ed. Each lemon is nearly as big as the
average size pe-fruit; and Mrs. Cor
son said she'd be sure TO remember some
Of the friends of the family with the
lemons at Christmas time.
The lemon tree that grows these citrus
prodtgfes originally came from Vir-
einia, which is somewhat paradoxical.
years ago by a Virginia woman, who
Claimed to have raised II from a mere
shoot She said it was twenty wears
old at the time she sold it, Mrs. Cor
son brought the lemon tree home, and
all through this summer it has pros
pered marvelously. A year ago the
Coryons say, It grew a lemon that
wei8hed two pounds.
Marvelously Active.
Usx corson read in a women's maga-
zine not long ago that iron water was
the best thing in the world for plant
health. She kept several rusty pans
tuu OF water, and when the lemon
tree needed q drink it was given a big
swtg @ rusty iron water. From the
nrst oose OF iron water the lemon tree
peean 70 snow signs OF unwonted activ-
1t grew new shoots and branches with
greet fapidity, and the crop of lemons
1t has 0rown this year is in excess of
any previous effort in the bearing line.
suA>- SoSO04i o6yS khS lIOU-~dleI
has proven the finest fertilizer and tonic
for plants she has ever known.
In the back yard of the Corson home
Is California fig tree that froze down
10 the, ground two. winters ago. and is
now healthy clump Of fig sprouts, with
several hgs sprouting from its topmost
branches. The fact that a fig tree will
bear figs With little more than a years
growth ts regarded as another evidence
OF the iron-water treatments general
The Corson fig tree is Of the California
variety, and does not grow so strlidy ss
the Louisiana variety. according to Mrs. |
Corson-I =. -.
Many Kept By Florists. -
Florists in all parts of the, city carry |
on quite an industry in growing and |
selling tropical fruit plants and trees. |
but they are raised strictly for sale
and are rarely kept long enough TO j
bear fruit. Numbers of Washington !
people keep tropical trees indoors all |
winter. These trees, however, never |
reach their full growth. and rarely |
grow SO large as to burst the confines |
OF stout tub or metal receptacle. If |
planted in the soil. they quickly wither |
with the first breath of frost and |
freeze down to the ground.
Mrs. Corson,. in addition to the big |
leHon tree, has number of lemon |
II ee shoots in the early stages of prop |
cgation. She hopes to eventually raise |
them TO the same size as the big lemon |
tree, with liberal treatments Of the iron |
water.
Barrett An Enthusiast.
Among other well-known growers. Of !
citrus fruits and tropical plant life !
q mid the rigors of a Northern climate
is John Barrett, director of the Pam
American Union. who installed a mas
sive glass sliding roof over the court
yard plaza of the big marble building
on Seventeenth street
On warm summer days this roof Is
rolled back. All forms Of tropical plant
life grow there in the moist warm |
air Of the court yard, and at the least
sign OF cooler weather back comes the |
great roof into place
Tho botanic gardens, of course, con-
tain many varieties of tropical plants