BUKEAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 403 



Because of the encouragement thus given, some 12,000 acres have 

 been planted to Smyrna figs in California during the past year, and 

 the industry can now be said to be on a permanent basis. Plans are 

 being formulated for the extension of the cooperative distribution of 

 seedlings and cuttings, and it is proposed to establish caprifig orchards 

 in several locations, so that the trees may be grown under diverse 

 climatic conditions, rendei'ing it possible to supply caprifigs at all 

 seasons as needed. 



The importance of the work of originating new and valuable varie- 

 ties especially suited to American conditions has been strikingly 

 demonstrated' at Loomis, Cal., where seedling figs of the best quality 

 have been developed. One of the new varieties, the Rixford, is of 

 especial promise because of its remarkable adaptability for trans- 

 portation in cold storage in fresh condition and because of its 

 ability to withstand rain at the ripening season without fermenting. 

 The fig-breeding Avork has been considerably modified by the dis- 

 covery of an Abyssinian fig that carries pollen in the winter gen- 

 eration, which permits early figs (the Berbas) to be caprified, thereby 

 improving their shipping and eating qualities. 



CiTRUs-BREEDiNG WORK. — The ncw citrus fruit, the citrange, has 

 been widely distributed throughout other regions just outside the 

 limits of ordinary citrus culture. Reports rrom cooperators comment 

 on the decided value of these new fruits as a substitute for the lemon. 

 Most of the trees are also handsome ornamentals. 



Breeding experiments have been continued on a large scale, and 

 several thousand new citrus hybrids have been distributed for coop- 

 erative testing by private growers. Experiments are being made to 

 discover methods to force the rapid fruiting of new hybrids, so that 

 their value may be determined in the least possible time. 



This citrus iDreeding work has emphasized the desirability of a 

 detailed botanical study of the wild relatives of our principal crop 

 plants. These wild relatives of our common citrus fruits are being 

 now imported as rapidly as possible for testing in connection with 

 citrus work. 



Another new type of citrus fruit, the tangelo, obtained by crossing 

 the grapefruit and the tangerine orange, has recently attracted much 

 attention. Commercial plantings are being made in Florida of the 

 Sampson tangelo, which is like a new and very high-flavored type 

 of orange, showing little of the grapefruit or tangerine in its qualities. 



SOIL-BACTERIOLOGY AND WATER-PURIFICATION 

 INVESTIGATIONS. 



The investigations in soil bacteriology have continued under the 

 direction of Dr. K. F. Kellerman, assisted by Mrs. Ira G. McBeth 

 and others. 



Pure cultures of nodule-forming bacteria for inoculating approxi- 

 mately 30,000 acres of leguminous crops were distributed during the 

 fiscal year 1012. The use of pure cultures is advocated, because of 

 their convenience in handling and in order to avoid the dissemination 

 of crown-gall by the shipment of soil from old fields. Carefully 

 supervised field experiments have been undertaken in Pennsylvania 

 and Ohio, and it is planned to continue both the field work and 



