The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-03-07


quality and that they need no other.
food From all reports from the gov
eminent experiment station and from
the very few who have grown this
vegetable in Florida 1t would seem to
be worthy Of extensive cultivation.
There is a new fruit sent out by the
department of agriculture. plant dis
tributing station that has the big name
of Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa. from
Mayaguez. Porto Rico. This fruit Is
worthy OF extensive cultivation and
seems to be quite hardy. as II has
grown on the south side OF the house
with no protection It would seem that
1t has to have a southern exposure. 1t
is a very ornamental plant. the foliage
varying from light green Of the new
growth to o rich, dark glossy green
of the old foliage and the blossom is
the shape of a small morning glory, of
a brilliant pink with silvery glow.
with red stamens with yellow pistii.
The fruit Ia obl0ng from one to two
inches In length and about an inch In
diameter This fruit is covered with
a plum colored velvety skin, the vel
vety down being very thick. This Is
easily removed as 1t peais of easily,
leaving thin, translucent skin filled
with rich. very sweet and aromatic
pulp. The seeds are loose in the pulp
and are so soft that they are not no.
ticeable. Just how valuable this may
become we cannot tell as but few have
tested the shrub and this is the first
that has fruited on the Evoiuta place.
But there Is a new citrus fruit that
has proven to be hardy and of great
value in this section OF country in
which II is too cold to grow lemons
and the tenderer oranges. This fruit
is known as the Citrange, and is a |
cross between the worthless trifoliate |
orange of Japan and our ordinary |
hardy substitute for the lemon. The |
fruits are juicy, containing a larger |
amount of juice proportionaily than
the best lemons. They make a refresh
ing "Citrangeade'' similar to lemonade |
which people who have made a COM |
parison pronounce equal to or even
better than the latter. The fruits also
make excellent pies and marmalade.
and for these purposes are proba bly, |
equal to the orange or lemon though |
more care has to be taken in preparing
this fruit, for it has the bitterness of :
the grapefruit, at least some varieties
have this quality to a marked degree.
The citrange will undoubtedly prove
valuable for general culinary purposes
in the making and fiavoring of cakes,
jeliies and preserves, and in many |
other ways in which the lemon is now
employed When ii Is considered that I
these citranges can be grown through
GUS the gulf and south Atlantic states. /
large part of Texas and Arizona, and |
parts Of New Mexico. Utah, Nevada,
Oregon and Washington. where there
is now a dearth of acid fruits then |
81
So far this fruit has not been Of |
commercial value for 1t is still in the |
experimental stage. But for home use
they are proving to be valuable by /
the few who have cultivated them to
the bearing stage. Wherever a home /
can be supplied with them, it will be
possible on the warm days between .
the first of September and the first OF
December to pick the fruit and make |
desirable refreshing beverage. Here
on the Evoluta place two OF the trees, !
the Rusls and the Willis have been |
loaded with fruit
The Rusk, SO named in honor Of !
first secretary of agriculture. Hon. J.
NJ. Rusk. is beautiful little orange
Of excellent texture and exceedingly |
Juicy. 1t is rather too sour to be eat
en- out of hand but with sugar it is .
very palatable. This citrange origin
ated as a hybrid between the common |
orange FUSED as the female parent) |
and trifoliate orange (used as the male |
parent.) 1t retains considerable of the
bitterness of the trifoliate. some of
them being too bitter for use In any
way except as an "ade" and others be-
ing no bitterer than the grapefruit. 1t
is the smallest OF any of the citranges,
but is beautiful fruit of q reddish
yellow and Is very prolific.
The second citrange. the Willis so
named in honor of secretary Of agri-
culture, Hon. Edwin Willis. produced
its first fruits this year on Evoluta
place. II Is similar to the Rusk in
tree growth and fruit character. yet
differing considerably In detail so
there is little trouble in DISTINGUISHING
1t from the Rusk citrange The Will
Its citrange makes a beautiful, vigor-
Gus growing tree and gives evidence Of
being Of value as a decorative or lawn
tree. The fruit makes fine drink
similar to the lemonade or limeade and
will be found pleasant as an acid fruit
to eat with sugar. 1t is excellent as q
substitute for the lemon to serve with
fish and oysters and Is valuable also
for culinary purposes for which it's
seedlessness renders 1t specially de-
sirable. The products made from the
Willis citrange are very different In
flavor from those made by the Rusk
citrange and 1t easily takes the place
of the grapefruit. for a breakfast fruit,
lacking much of the bitterness of that
fruit. 1t is much larger than the Rusk
and We consider 1t in every way a
most valuable production
The Sampson citranee Is a hybrid
between the tangelo and ordinary DO.
melo and the Morton citrange Is the
largest OF all these new fruits, exceed
ing the grapefruit In size and very
similar to 1t in taste. These last two
named are growing into beautiful Il
thrifty trees, but not having produced
any fruit they are still in the ex-
perimentsl stage, so far as we are con- II