HORTICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS AT SAN ANTONIO. 19 



unless grown in well-protected situations. A number of plantings 

 have been made in this section, but none of the trees has survived. 

 Plantings of other sorts have been made, but the only citrus trees 

 that have proved hardy are certain varieties of citranges. These 

 fruits were originated by crossing the common sweet orange with 

 the hardy trif oliate orange. 1 The following varieties of these citranges 

 have been under trial: Coleman, Cunningham, Morton, Rusk, 

 Rustic, Savage, and Thornton. Of these the Rusk is the only 

 variety that appears to be adapted to these conditions. The others 

 either have died or made a very poor growth. This variety is bearing 

 fruit for the first time this season. 



One interesting feature in connection with this group of fruits is 

 that the trees appear to be immune to the root-rot fungus, so fatal 

 to many other fruit trees. Plantings have been made since 1908, 

 but none of the trees has died from this cause so far as it was possible 

 to observe, although several varieties died from other causes. 



There is reason to believe that the Rusk citrange may make a good 

 stock on which to work other citrus fruits in parts of Texas where the 

 trifoliate stock is not adapted. This species has not done well at the 

 experiment farm, whereas the Rusk citrange on its own roots has made 

 an excellent growth. In addition to furnishing a useful fruit, the 

 citrange can be used as a hedge, resembling very much the trifoliate 

 orange, and it should be planted here in preference to that species. 



Fig. — A collection of several varieties of figs, including the Mis- 

 sion, Magnolia, and others, has been grown without irrigation. The 

 results indicate that the fig can not be grown successfully in this 

 section without irrigation, and even with irrigation it is a doubtful 

 crop because of winterkilhng, except in protected situations. The 

 plant is apparently exceptionally free from chlorosis, but is very sus- 

 ceptible to root-rot, and this disease may be a limiting factor in grow- 

 ing this fruit crop on a commercial scale, even under irrigation. While 

 San Antonio is near the northern limit of the zone where the fig can 

 be grown in Texas, because of low winter temperatures, still, when 

 grown in sheltered situations near buildings or other protection, the 

 trees will survive where temperatures fall much lower than those 

 ordinarily experienced in San Antonio. The fig should by all 

 means be included among the fruits produced for home consumption 

 on the farm. It should be grown, if possible, where some protection 

 is afforded and where an occasional irrigation is possible. The 

 Mission and the Magnolia are the two varieties most generally grown 

 in this vicinity, but several other varieties of the Adriatic type seem 

 to be well adapted. The Smyrna type of figs can not be fruited in 



1 Webber, H. J., and Swingle, W. T. New citrus creations of the Department of Agriculture. Yearbook 

 of the Department of Agriculture for 1904, p. 221-240. 



