CITRUS CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA — POLLINATION. 33 



the most virile pollen, or those the best sexed, would conquer in 

 the race for existence, and only that variety remain which 

 would be surrounded by the greatest protection against all 

 possible enemies. 



This would be accomplished by a change in each generation 

 of seed, imparted to it by pollen possessing the greatest 

 strength and enduring qualities. The growing plant from 

 such a seed, having more resistance to climatic changes, more 

 strength of root to forage in the soil, and more power of leaf 

 to elaborate its fruit, would produce, first, intermediate varie- 

 ties, and finally, occupy the whole area with a variety undis- 

 tinguishable from the strongest type. 



Continuous cross-pollination would, with each generation, 

 tend to eliminate the weaker variety, while seedless varieties 

 would be destroyed immediately. 



It is this known law in its action, in natural selection and 

 adaptation, that the Citrus vulgaris, yar. bigaradia, or the sour- 

 bitter orange, may be regarded as the primitive type of many 

 of the California oranges, ^^'hether this is the germinal and 

 historic species irom which the historic varieties came, or not, 

 it is the natural protective type to represent the purpose of 

 nature in the production of seed. 



Citrus Vulgaris, var. Bigaradia.—li nature had marked this 

 tree and fruit with the sign " Touch not, taste not," she could 

 not have fulfilled her purpose in perpetuating its life better 

 than she has with the disagreeable qualities and outside aids 

 with which she has surrounded it. 



The tree habits and fruit-growth differ from other varieties 

 in many particulars. The tree is low for a standard, rarely 

 reaching over thirty feet in height. This habit guards it from 

 the effects of high winds and allows it to get the greatest 

 benefit from the radiated heat, when the direct rays of the sun 

 -are spent. By its low, conelike growth thelower fruit is produced 

 having great strength and character, allowing a small compact 

 cell to do an immense work, in the leaf and root. The leaf is 

 winged; the large petioles below the articulation act as a pro- 

 tection and help, in case of injury to the bla'de of the leaf by 

 degrees of heat or cold, or lack of nutrition and moisture. The 

 flowers are shortened, thick petaled, and diffused with color 

 ranging from white to pink. The little investigation that has 

 3c 



