FDYARD C. GREEN

 
 

 

 

THESIS of fc 2E wi ~ Ten ae

jo a mo
oy , , atk
‘ AAS AL L 4 Ce Y LR td we
  

THESIS of £ . CA g ( LANA mas Tek ae

a

_ Of ct ; »a f -3
N. SA f 2 Be CR ww

2 ’
. '
(% . ~2 www. 4 a See men

Ny

a
>

 

iA

Sg

 

- >" ‘

a s, 4
t mo
* Se * . *

wy ee,

 

 

 
 

THESIS
THE POSSIBILITIES OF CITRUS CULTURE

IN TBXAS

a

2

EDWARD C. GREEN, B. S., '97,

wemwwae ws Bape ae = = «b
THESIS
THE POSSIBILITIES OF CITRUS CULTURE IN TEXAS.

qn Gv as ee we ew “coQ000-~ o> = > on

There is being conducted in Texas to-day one of
the most extensive horticultural experiments ever
attempted with so little assurance of ultimate
SUCCESS. In 1909 it was estimated that no fewer
than 1,000,000 orange trees had been planted in the
"Q@ulf Coast Country" between the Sabine River and
the Rio Grande, and it is possible that during 1910
and 1911 another 1,000,000 orange trees have been
planted. The land generally thought of as the
citrus belt is a strip varying from ten to forty
miles in width paralleling the coast and the valley
of the Rio Grande up as far as Sam Fordyce.

The sudden and rapid development of orchard
planting may be traced largely to the activities of
real estate sale promoters, nurserymen and railroad
industrial agents. There is comparatively little
data from orchardiets not directly interested in land
schemes or in the business of propagating citrus
nursery stock for sale. The newspapers and horti-
cultural journals have been benefited by the adver-
tising campaigns and, hence, have responded by aid-
ing the propaganda in every manner. Two years

ago there were so many boni fide orchardiets and so

a

-l-
OC275
— +
much interest among business men who contemplated

planting orchards on an extensive scéle that an
authoritive statement as to the possibilities of
orange growing in the Pexss Gulf Coast was asked of
the United States Department of Agriculture. For
the purpose of preparing such a stetement a confer-
ence of the Department pomologists and others was
held February 20th, 1909, in the office of Dr. B. T.
Galloway, Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry,
Washington, D. C., and the report of the conference
was published in circular form, It was decided
at this time to detail Mr. Floyd S. Tenney, a pomol-
ogist, to visit Texas and inspect the territory.
This was subsequently done and his report was so

adverse to the orange indtstry and was received

with such bad grace by the parties interested in the
citrus orchard development that the Texas Commission-
er of Agriculture, Honorable Bd. R. Kone, secured the
services of Professor H. Harold Hume, Secretary of
the Glen St. Mary Nursery, of Florida, and an ack-
nowledged authority on citrus fruits, for the purpose
of checking up the report of Mr. fenney, and, if poss-
ible, to secure a more favorable statement. Mr.
fenney's report was not only from the standpoint of
the grower alone but from the broader basis of pro-

Guction as related to market and consumption. He
Bays,~ "The Satsuma industry in Texas may be con=
sidered as yet in its experimental state. The
indications are, however, that with the exception
of oocasionsl herd winters, this variety will prove
generally hardy.* He states that the marketing
of the Satsuma type of orange in limited quantities
has met with considerable success, but that the
successful marketing of great quantities in the
large cities of the country does not appear very
hopeful in view of the fact that they would have to
compete with the larger and superior oranges of the
Pacific Coast and the Imperial Valley. He stated
that ,- "There no doubt is a field in Texas and near-
by states which could dispose of considerable quan-
tity of this fruit at prices sufficiently high to
encourage its growing in considerably larger quan-
tities than the bearing trees have yet yielded.
The general impression which I gathered from seeing
trees of the common round orange, the pomelo and
the lemon is that the coast country of Texas avera-
ges too cold for the commercial planting of these
varieties."

Professor H. Harold Hume's report is embodied
in Bulletin No. 3, New Series, Texas Department of

Agriculture, and his conclusions are as follows:
"Basing conclusions on the information at hand and
considering the whole matter in relation to climatic
conditions, citrus fruits have been, are being and
will be grown in the Gulf Coast region of Texas.
Satsuma oranges on Citrus Trifoliata stock can be
produced in unlimited quantities; other varieties
of citrus fruits can be grown on Citrus Trifoliata
stock. The main crops of oranges grown in
coastwise Texas will be Satsuma and other early or
medium-early varieties and the only fruit with which
it will come in competition is the “Valeneia Late"
from California, of which there is not enough to
supply the present demand."

Mr. Gilbert Onderdonk, a vetern horticulturist
and nurseryman of Nursery, Texas, having observed
Texas conditions for a period of over fifty years
has written a bulletin entitled, "Pomological
Possibilities of Texas," and therein he states his
conclusions regarding the prospect of citrus de-
velopment in this state. “And now the writer
offers his final conolusions upon the subject of
practicability of orange industry of Southern
Texabe He believes that from our Eastern
boundary to Corpus Christi we have a Gulf Coast
belt in which a prudent manager could realize about
six or seven crops in ten years after the fruiting

age of his trees is attained. He believes

~4<
that from Kingsville on toward the border beyond
Raymondville the average would be one more crop
in ten years, and on the Rio Grande he believes
that nine crops could be produced in ten years
beginning with the bearing year."

From the above observations of orange experts
and trained horticulturists it would appear that
there is little question as to the probable success
of the Satsuma orange on Trifoliata stock throurh-
out the coast country wherever said stock is con-
genial to soil conditions. As to the extent
of the success that may be expected from raising
standard oranges, grape fruit and lemons there
seems to be some doubt, except in the case of Mr,
Onderdonk who believes that such of the hardier
varieties of round oranges as have the ability
to recuperate rapidly and return to bearing within
@ period of one year after freezing down will prove
commercially satisfactory. Investigation as
to what may be expected under Texas conditions will
involve a careful study of the climate and soils
of Florida, Louisiana and California as compared
with that of Southern Texas, and the history of
citrus oulture from the earliest time to the present
in these states should be carefully considered before

@® conservative decision can be reached.
 
According to C. Hart Merriam, in Bulletin No.
10, Division of Biological Survey, United States
Department of Agriculture: "The southernmost por-
tion of Florida, a very small portion of southern-
most Texas and a narrow strip along the Colorado
river in Arizona and California are classed as
tropical. Certain portions of the lower austral
and of the gulf strip of the lower austral are sat-
isfactory for growing citrus fruits." Profess-
or R. H. Rolfs of Florida states that, “citrus
fruits may be produced where the temperature does
not fall below 19 degrees or rise above 100 degrees
FF." Dr. Wm. C. Richardson, before the Florida
State Horticultural Society, in 1908, in an article
on the Climatology of the Citrus, says, that, "the
Isotherm of 70 may be said to be the centre of the
citrus belt of the Northern Hemisphere and that the
limits of citrus culture vary from between the 25th
and 35th parallel of latitude." The normal
surface temperature for a year places the 70 degree
Isotherm through the central portion of the Penin~
sula of Florida, through Texas on a line practically
with Corpus Christi and Laredo and through Arizona
and California in a loop following the valley of

the Colorado river to approximately one degree north

of the International boundary line between the

~6-
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a =
—
KY
tb:
mo S
7
Sg B _in
Fo---e 70° we 0\ —»y
~
Lo A
PLATE I. Showing Isotherm 70 degrees F.

B.

 

(U.S. Weather Bureau Bulletin "Q".)

Regions in which standard cif’rus fruits
are grown.

Regions in which Satsuma oranges are grown.
United States and Mexico. *

The above indicates in a general way the area
din the United States which possibly may be adapted
to citrus growing. There are now to be con-

sidered in this connection the climatic condition

of various localities due to topography, the
presence of ameliorating effect of adjacent bodies
of water, forests, and such other conditions as
might affect the possibilities of citrus fruit pro-
duction. From the history of citrus culture
many indications may be obtained from which de~
ductions may be made.

Historical.

Oranges were introduced into California by the
Franciscan monks about 1769, and as the state develop-
ed trees were planted throughout the southern part
of the state. The founding of the Riverside
Colony in 18671 marked the beginning of great horti-
cultural activity, and in 1880 orange culture had
assumed commercial importance and developed with
great rapidity. ** In 1889 it was estimated
that 3,500,000 orange trees had been planted,
nearly one~half of which were then bearing. The
Thermo Belt, considered the best for citrus fruits,
extends from San Diego to Tehama, nearly seven
hundred miles long and from two to twenty-five miles
wide, the altitude varying from thirty to eighteen

* Bulletin "Q", Weather Bureau, United States
Department of Agriculture.

** U.S.Soil Survey of San Bernandino Valley California.
ao 7a
hundred feet above sea level. The output of

oranges in 1908 and 1909 averaged 14,000 carloads

per year. *

Oranges were found wild in Florida when the
first permanent settlements were made. In the
central portion of the state wild sour oranges were
usually found in locations where they were fully
protected by the surrounding towering oaks.

"In 1859 Judge Day, of Micanopy, started the first
orange grove of this area by budding the sweet
orange upon the wild sour stock, which had hitherto
been considered worthless, The fruit at this
early date met with a ready sale and the profits
of the orange growing industry caused its rapid
expansion,” ** From 1865 to 1870 sweet seed-
ling oranges along the St. Johns river attracted
considerable attention, and it was noted subse-
quently that upon the removal of the natural
protection afforded by the live oaks, which
occurred in conjunction with the orange trees,

the wild groves were injured or destroyed soon
after from the effects of cold. *** Interest
in the citrus culture in Florida developed very
Slowly and a serious set back occurred during

1886 when a three days blizzard occurred seriously
injuring orange trees down to the 29th parallel of

*  Cyclopaedia of American Horticulture -Bailey.
** U.S. Soil Survey, Gainesville Area, Florida.
*** cyvolopaedia of American Horticulture -Bailey.

-8-
latitude, Por six years after the freeze of 1886
injurious frosts ocourred regularly. Notwith-
standing the frosts orange growing developed, and
planting were made with great enthusiasm until
December 1894, when a severe cold defoliated the
trees as far south as the Manitee river, and the
following February a freeze occurred which killed
most of the trees to the ground from Tampa north
and more or less injured the trees south of this
locality. The effect of this freeze was to
practically destroy the Florida citrus industry
through the north half of the Peninsula. Since
then other orchards have been developed, more atten~
tion being paid to local conditions and to the pro-
tection of the orchards by various means, and a
large degree of success has been met with by the
most careful growers.

In 1727 the Jesuits were granted a tract of
land near Hew Orleans, Louisiana, on which they
conducted a model farn. ""o these Jesuit
fathers Louisiana is indebted for the introduction
of the orange, fig, sugar cane and indigo." *

From this period forward sweet seedlings have been
grown in the delta of the Mississippi river. Ho
attempt, however, at commercial orcharding was made

prior to the last few years. The cold of Feb-
ruary 1895 killed nearly all sweet seedlings, the

* U.S.S0il Survey of the New Orleans area,Louisiana.
-9-
 

 

 

 

temperature going to 15 degrees F. at New Orleans.
Only the hardy Japan oranges on the Trifoliata
stock excaped. In February 1899 nearly every
grove in the state was killed by the severe freese
which occurred at that time.

In Texas citrus trees were grown from the time
of the earliest settlers, and this was probably the
result of throwing out or planting the seeds about the
homes of the early settlers and the plantation
owners. Trees exist that are known to be thirty-
five years old, and at the home of S. I. Bryan, in
Brazoria County, there are old seedling trees
said to have been planted by Mrs. Wm. Joel Bryan
fifty-five or sixty years ago. Mrs. S. I.

Bryan has known tnese trees for forty-three yeurs
und in this period they have been frozen down three

times. *

There are many other instances of old
seedling orange trees in various places along the
Gulf Coast from Beaumont to the Rio Grande and in
practically all cases the trees have been grown
about the homes of people having a love for horti-
culture and in most instances there is little doubt
but that some protection from cold was given when
necessary. About fifteen years ugo a few
Satsuma oranges on Trifoliata stock were planted

* Citrus Fruits in Texas, H. Harold Hume.

-10-
 

 

 

 
along the Gulf Coast and as these came into bearing
some six years later considerable interest was
attracted to them and for the last six or eight
years the planting of this variety has gone steadi-
ly forward. Round oranges and some grape fruit
and lemons have been planted in a small way. In
1899 all orange trees in the state were killed to
the ground, with the exception of a few old sweet
seedlings which were standing in exceptionally
good locations. It is reported by Mr. D.
Onderdonk, that in 1887 orange trees were seriously
injured down as far as Brownsville. Mr. A. Te
Potts, Superintendent State Sub-experimental Station,
Beeville, Texas, states, that round oranges and
grape fruit on Trifoliata stock were killed to the
ground in February 1909, and have been killed to
the ground each year since. Satsuma oranges on
frifoliata stock have been but slightly injured
during these freezes,

Climate.

In considering the possibilities of the citrus
culture in Texas, it is necessary to compare the
climatic conditions here with those of that section
of California where citrus culture is on a safe

and eommercial basis, and comparison should also
be drawn with that section of Florida in which
eitrus culture on a commercial scale exists. In
California, Riverside may be considered the centre
of the safe citrus growing territory, and even in
that section weather conditions are sometimes
sufficiently severe to seriously injure fruit and
even young trees. The weather records for the
station at Redlands, which is but a few miles from
Riverside, show that the annual mean from 1898 to
1903, inclusive, is 64 degrees F. and the absolute
minimum 25 degrees F. During this period the
lowest temperatures encountered by months were
January 26 degrees F., February 25 degrees F.,
November 32 degrees F., December 27 degrees F.
At Los Angeles the annual mean for the period from
1894 to 1903, inclusive, was 62 degrees F, The
absolute minima by months were January 30 degrees
¥., February 28 degrees F., November 54 degrees F.,
December 30 degrees F. The temperature dropped
below 32 degrees F. five times during this period.
In Florida the section of country considered
most safe for citrus culture is in the neighborhood
of Hillsboro County. The ameriolating effect

of Tampa Bay on the surrounding country makes the

growing of standard round oranges and of pomelos

~12-
possible. The weather records at Tampa for the
period from 1894 to 1903, inclusive, show an annual
mean of 72 degrees F., and an absolute minimum of
19 degrees fF. By months the absolute minima are
as follows: January 27 degrees F., February 22
degrees F., November 32 degrees F., December 19
degrees F. During this period the temperature
dropped below 30 degrees F. nineteen times. At
Barto, in Folk County, for the period from 1895 to
1903, inclusive, the annual mean was 72 degrees F.,
the absolute minimum 18 degrees F. The absolute
minima by months were as follows: January 18
degrees F., Bebruary 22 degrees F., November 28
degrees F., December 27 degrees F. During this
period the temperature dropped below 32 degrees F.
forty-five times.

In Texas, at Brownsville, the southernmost
point in the state, the weather records show from
1894 to 1903, inclusive, the annual mean to be 73
degrees F., and the absolute minimum 12 degrees F.
By months the minima are as follows: January 20
degrees F., February 12 degrees F., November 28
degrees F, December 15 degrees fF, During this
period the temperature dropped below 32 degrees F.

upon sixty-six differant occasions and to 20 degrees

o@l3j=
¥., or below, eleven times. *

¥rom the mere comparison of the above records
it would seem that the outlook for standard oranges
on sweet seedlings or sour stock is not very good,
even in the southernmost point of Texas, in that
the weather records show greater cold and more of
it than in Florida where severe injury occasionally
ocours, or in California where slight injuries to
trees and even severe injury to fruit have been
recorded, Not only the actual degree of cold
but the phenomina accompanying the severe weather
has much to do with the effect on the citrus.
Cold driven by high wind, egpecially when not accom
panied by rain, has a much more injurious effect than
still cold or cold accompanied by rain. In the
case of California, winds accompanied by cold are
usually not of high velocity and frequently from
year to year, during the period when cold occurs,
fog and moisture accompany the drop in temperature.
In Florida the cold is usually accompanied by wind
but owing to the wooded nature of the country and
the prevalence of tall trees the citrus groves are
protected, naturally, to some extent.

In Texas the cold is almost always accompanied

by high northerly or northwesterly winds; the south-

* Data obtained from Bulletin "Q", U.S.Weather Bureau.
-1]4-
 

 

ern portion of Texas contains practically no high
trees, the growth of the country being cactus and
"“chapparal", aversging possibly ten feet in height,
and tnere is practically nothing for three hundred
miles to stop the sweep of the "*norther™, as it is
locally known. It has been noted by the writer,
however, that probably one~half of the severe cold
spells are accompanied by rain which freezes on the
exposed trees as it falls, and as a rule in such
cases severe injury does not result.

Among other climatic conditions considered in
relation to citrus growing is the weather preceding
the period in which cold is likely to occur.

Citrus trees sre capable of withstanding considerable
cold provided they are in a dormant or nearly dor~-
ment condition. Whea cool weather prevails dur-~-
ing a period of weeks and is then followed by a
severe drop in temperature the trees appear to have
prepared themselves to some extent and the injury

is rarely severe, However, when the temperature
has been high and conditions favorable for growth,
orange trees respond quickly, and when such a period
is followed by severe cold or even a moderate drop
below thirty-two degrees F. severe injury is almost

certain to follow. The latter condition is the
one which most usually occurs in Texas, and this fact
added to the further eonsideration that the southern-
most point in Texas is much colder than either
Florida or California, together with the fact that
native trees sufficiently high to form natural wind
breaks are absent, lead the writer to the belief
that the successful growing of round oranges on
standard stocks is not feasible in southern Texas.
However, the greatest hope of the Texas promoters
of citrus planting is not based so much on standard
round oranges, grape fruits and lemons as it is on
the hardy Japan orange, "Satsuma", grown on the
eold resistant Trifoliata stock. It is their
expectation also, that certain vurieties of round
oranges and pomelos which are congenial to the
Trifoliata stock can be grown throughout the Gulf
Coast country. So far as the Setsuma orange on
Trifoliata stock is concerned, it has been demon-
stratec that this can be grown throughout north-.
central Florida, in the delta of the Mississippi
river and in favored localities close to the Gulf
through Louisiana and Texas. The Satsuma
belongs to the "Mandarin" group of oranges and when
dormant, owing to the effect of the stock on which
it is budded it is very resistant to cold. A

-~16-
mature tree would probably endure under these con~-
ditions as low a temperature as 12 degrees F. and
still live. However, a temperature of 28 degrees
F. destroys any fruit on the tree, and a temperature
of 20 degrees F. usually destroys all fruit buds
regardless of tre dormancy of the tree, The
pomelos and round oranges on Trifoliata stock never
become so resistant to cold as does the Satsuma,
At Beeville in 1909, a four year old variety orchard
of grape fruit which the preceding fall had borne a
good crop of fruit was Killed to the ground, in 1910
it was again killed to the ground and this past
January the trees were again killed to where the
soil had been mounded about the stems, Through~
out the Texas Coast country during the past winter
all unprotected grape fruits and round oranges on
Trifoliata stock were severely injured and in most
cases the trees killed to the ground or to the
trunke. In cases where artificial protection
was given, such as fire-pots, or where natural pro-
tection, such as wind-breaks or adjacent bodies of
water existed, the trees came through with compara~
tively slight injury.

Satsuma oranges on Trifoliata stock are

successfully grown in Florida from Glen St. Mary
south, wherever soil conditions are satisfactory.
According to the weather records from 1894 to 1903,
inclusive, at Jacksonville, which may be considered
the northern limit of Satsuma on Trifoliata stock,
the annual mean was 69 degrees F., the absolute
minimum 10 degrees F. fhe minima by months were:
January 15 degrees F., February 10 degrees F.,
November 26 degrees F. and December 14 degrees F.
During this period the temperature fell below 32
degrees F. ten times. The climate of this
section is such that the trees are prepared to some
extent for severe weather,- cool is followed by
cooler through the fall and winter so that the
trees reach the maximum state of dormancy.

In Louisiana, at New Orleans, during the period
from 1894 to 1903, inclusive, the annual mean was
69 degrees F., and the absolute minimum for this
period was 70 degrees F. By months the minima
were as follows: January 15 degrees F., Pebruary
7 degrees F., November 29 degrees F., December 20
degrees F. The temperature during this period
falling below 22 degrees F. five times. At
Port Eads for a similar period the annual mean has
been 70 degrees F., the absolute minimum for the

period 10 degrees F., and the minima by months were:

January 25. degrees F., February 10 degrees F.,

-~18~
November 36 degrees F., December 28 degrees fF,
The tem:erature has fallen below 22 degrees F,
three times during thie period. The section
haif way between these two points is considered
satisfactory for raising Satsuma oranges on Trifol-
iatea stook and they are injured by cold very rarely.
In Texas, Houston is considered the centre of
the Satsuma orange growing section and the greatest
development is taking place in what is known as the
Houston-Galveston District. At Houston the
annual mean for the period from 1894 to 1903, inolu-
sive, was 69 degrees F., the absolute mimimum 6
degrees F, By months the minima were as follows:
January 18 degrees F., February 6 degrees F., Nov-
ember 30 degrees F., December 15 degrees F, For
this period there is no record given in Bulletin
"co" of the number of times the temperature has
dropped below 22 degrees F., hence this report is
not comparable to those of the two states previously
given. However, it is shown in the United
States Weather Buresu Records that the temperature
dropped below 32 degrees F., during this period,
on one hundred and twenty-six separate occasions,
At Beeville, which may be considered the
southernmost point in which Trifoliata stock

flourishes in Texas, the weather records from 1895
 

 

 

 

 

 

to 1903, inclusive, show an annual mean of 70 degrees
F., and an absolute minimum of 5 degrees F. The
minima by months were as follows: January 19 degrees
F., February 5 degrees F., November 30 degrees F.,
December 14 degrees F. At this station the
temperature dropped below 32 degrees F. during this
period, one hundred and twenty-eight times, and the
records for January, February and March 1901 and for
February 1902 are missing.

By comparison of the above records it would
seem that the Satsuma orange on Trifoliata stock
will probably be grown successfully in Florida
south of Jacksonville, in southermost Louisiana
and in the Gulf Coast of Texas, wherever soil con-
ditions are satisfactory for the Trifoliata stock.

Soils.

Citrus fruits thrive on a great variety of
soils. However, for the purpose of comparison
it may be well to select as a standard the soil of
the best areas in the heart of the safe orange
growing section of California,

There are two types of soil which seem to be
especially suited to growing of citrus fruits in
California; One, the Maricopa sandy loam, is a

chocolete brown to bleck sandy loam six feet or

-20-
more in depth, loose, open and porous under culti-
vation, but in its native, undisturbed state often
quite compast. "This soil is devoted almost
exclusively to tke growing of citrus fruits, to
which it is especially well adapted, not only
because of its situation in the "frostless belt"
but because of its depth and strength." * fhe
mechanical analysis of the Maricopa Sandy Loam

is as follows:

Small gravel ,--------- 13.6 &
Coarse sand,---------- 17.5 &
Medium sahd ,--------- - 9.8 %
Fine sand ,------------ 21.2 %
Very fine ‘sand, o----<- 13.8 %
Silt ,----------------- 17.0 %
Olay, oer eee oeeenemmn & -_ 6.9 %,

The other type of soil is that upon which the cities
of Redlands and Riverside are built, and in which

is contsined some of the best orange groves in the
state. This is known as the "Placentia Sandy
Loam", and is a micaceous, sticky, slightly plastic,
reddish brown sandy loam, eighteen inches to six feet
or more in depth and underlain by a hard compact
clay like hard pan of the texture of Fullerton sandy
adobe. Much of this soil is in the frostless
belt, is well drained and when irrigated is one of
the best citrus fruit soils in the valley. The

mechanical analysis of the Placentia Sandy Loam is

men @& a @ = GF ae

* U.S.Soil Survey of the San Bernandino Valley,
California.

-£1-
as follows:

Small gravel ,-------- 6.1 %
Coarse sand ,~---~---=- 10.1 %
Medium sand ,--------- 7.5 %
Fine sand ,----------- 21.2 %
Very fine sand,------ 18.0 %
Silt, ooo oeoereree_e_er_e—oo 25.8 %
Clay, _——oororrer—e——e— oo 13.2 %

Another California soil mentioned in the United States
Soil Survey of the Los Angeles area, is the "Sierra
Adobe" and of this it is said: "fhe location of this
type slong the foot hills gives it a certain exemp-
tion from frost, and with water the citrus fruit and
winter truck industries have a bright future."

The following is the mechanical analysis of this

e0il, which is given largely for the purpose of
showing that citrus fruits do well even in a very
tight and compact soil:

Organic matter ,------ .94
Fine gravel ,-~------- o 94

Coarse sand,--------- 3.2 %
Medium sand ,--------- 3.38 %
Fine sand,----------- 10.26 &
Very fine sand,------ 45.42 &
Clay, ~emocerr renter esre 19.28 %

In Florida the soil for the most part is of a
very sandy nature. Good orange groves have been
produced on several types of the sandy lands, and
on the heavier types of soil which occur in ridges
and are known as “Hammock Lands." There are
various grades of this hammock land, but in general
it is characterized by a dark sandy top soil vary-

~22-
ing from a few inches to about five feet in depth.
The sub-soil is a stiff calcareous drab clay which
passes into limestone at warying depths. One
of the soile contained in this general classifica-
tion is called “Portsmouth Sandy loam," and is con-
sidered one of the most desirable for oranges and
grape fruit although the same fruits are produced
satisfactorily in the southern part of the state

on very loose and sandy soils. The mechanical
analysis of the Portsmouth sandy loam is as follows:
Surface soil first twenty-five inches,

Small gravel ,-------- 5 %
Coarse sand ,~-------- 8.1 %
Medium sand,------- -- 20.1 &
Fine sand ,----------- 44.7 %
Very fine sand ,------ 16.9 %
Silt "reer 5.6 %
Clay, =e rr er ee eee eee Sel % *
Sub-soil twenty-five to thirty-six inches,
Small gravel ,-------- 4%
Coarse sand ,--------- 8.8 &%
Medium sand ,--------- 18.8 &
Fine sand ,----------- 34.7 %
Very fine sand ,------ 8
Silt ,---------------- 2.6 %
Clay ,---------------- 26.7 %

In Louisiana it is probable that the "Yazoo

loam" is most sstisfactory for orange growing.
Thic soil is a yellow to light brown silt of a

Gepth from five to seven inches, and when not

plowed too wet is of a loose and powdery constitu-
ency. This type of soil occurs on the ridges

* vu. S. Soil Survey, Gainesvilles area, Florida,

-23~-
and higher strips of ground in southernmost Louis-
jana. The Yazoo loam near New Orleans is de-
voted chiefly to market gardening, dairies and
nurseries. The nurseries make a specialty of
oranges and semi-tropical fruits and flowers.

The following is the mechanical analysis of the

Yazoo loam:

Organic maiter,-------- 1.59 &
Coarse sand ,----------- 016 &
Medium sand ,----------- 012 %
Fine sand ,------------- 60 %
Very fine sand,-------- 12.12 %
Silt ,---- enn n nr nnn 69.56 &
Clay ,--or enn errno 17.44 % *

From the above analysis it will be seen that this
type is a very heavy and rich soil.

In what is known as the Houston-Galveston
District, the predominating type of soil is the
"Houston black olay," and it is on the highest and
best drained portion of this soil that the Satsuma
orange on Trifoliata stock is most generally grown.
fhe soil is a black or drab clay six to ten inches
in depth and underlain by a drab of yellow waxy
clay. When well cultivated, is quite friable
and has the texture of clay loan. The mechani-

cal analysis of this soil is as follows, first six

inches:
Organic matter ,-------- 3.88 %
Gravel ,-wwnr- ene of
Coarse sand ,----------- 56 %

*U.S.S0il Survey, New Orleans area, Louisiana.
~24-
Medium sand ,~---------- 34 %
Fine sand ,~---<-------- 1.7 &%
Very fine sand ,--~----- 6.16 %
Silt ,------------------ 38.44 %
Clay, “eee reer errr 52.4 %,

Organic matter ,--------
Gravel ,---=------------ .

Coarse sand ,-----------
Medium sand ,----------=

Sub-soil six to thirty-six inches consists of,
Fine sand ,---<--------- 1
Very fine "sand, err owes 3

“32 &
j
§
Silt ,------------------ 39 %,
Clay ,-. ---------------- 57, &*

~ MO Dos 09 ON
WA —& 09 ~I

The type of soil of southernmost Texas which
is generally considered most promising for citrus
culture is that which lies on the higher land
bordering the river bank or the "resacas” and which
is known as "Laredo silt loam." This soil is
very floury when dry and has a tendency to bake
after irrigation unless properly cultivated, Its
depth varies fron twelve inohes to several feet,
possibly as much as sixteen feet in some situations,
The mechanical analysis of the Laredo silt loam is

as follows:

Fine gravel ,----------- 1 &
Coarse sand,---~~------ 3 &
Medium sand ,--------~--- 6 &
Fine sand ,--~---------= 8.9 4%
Very fine sand,-----~--- 32.8 &%
Silt .--”"r-rrerrrrroroe 43.7 f
Clay ,~werr ns rer r ree 13.9

By scanning the above descriptions and mechan-

ew we = = a=

* U.S.S0il Survey of the Brazoria area, Texas.

=25-
ical analyses of soils it will be seen that they
vary from very light to extremely compact soils,

and on all there types oranges of some sort are
known to grow successfully so far as the produc-
tions of the tree is concerned, However, it
should be stated here that in not all cases are

the same stocks used, for example,- in California
practically all oranges are grown on sweet seed-
ling, sour, Or pomelo stocks; in Florida sour

stock is used chiefly in the southern part of the
state and Trifoliata stock in the central and north-
central portion; in Louisiana and in the Houston-
Galveston District of Texas practically nothing but
Tfrifoliata is used, while in southern Texas the sour
is used to the exclusion practically of all other
stocks. The presence Of alkali in soils appears
to have a marked effect on certain stocks. The
sour orange thrives where sufficient alkali exists
to entirely destroy the growth of Trifoliata.

(See illustration on plate #2.) However, this
bad effect on Trifoliata may be due to the character
of the alkali present in the soil of the Rio Grande
valley, for in California Charles H. Shimm in speak-
ing of the experience of the growers in the vicinity
 

PLATE &.

Small leafless trees in foreground are

Citrus Trifoliata planted three years
ago. Large orange trees in same row

in background are sour stock same age

and when planted were the same size of
the Trifoliata. Sour stock flourishes
while Trifoliata stands. still or dies.
of Tulare states, that,- "Trifoliata grows and
fruits in alkali soil, henoe it is recommended

as a stock for gardeners in that locality." *

The alkali reported as present in the territory
referred to by Mr. Shimm is known as the "black
alkali", i.e., carbonate of soda, whereas the
alkali of the Rio Grande valley is chiefly common
salt and chloride of lime. It may be that the
Trifoliata stock endures the alkaline carbonates,
but not the alkaline chlorides,

In relation to the soils it would appear that
although the oranges of the finest quality are
produced on the California type, as above described,
still good oranges are grown on many Kinds of soils
varying in character from coarse loose sand to fine
silty clay, and on the whole, the matter of soil is
of minor importance as compared with that of eli-
mate. In California the soil type, which is

almost entirely monopolized by orange growers,

appears to lie in nearly frastless regions of the

foot hills.
Losal Conditions.

Although as above shown the climate conditions
of southern Texas indicate that the opportunity for

raising citrus fruits does not compare favorably

ea~ Be we @ ew mw

* See California Experiment Station Bulletin 138,
-27-
with California, nor yet with certain portions of
southern Florida, still the fact exists that sweet
seedling oranges have been grown and fruited in
Texas for many years. It is true that these
trees have been frozen down to the ground, or at
least severely injured from time to time, still

the trees prevail and live to again produce fruit.
A8 a general rule these 01d seedlings are found
enjoying some local environmental condition which
makes possible their continued existence, Photos
taken by Professor H. Harold Hume and published in
his bulletin entitled "Citrus Fruits in Texas” show
sweet seedling trees growing on the banks of the
Neches river near Beaumont. In this illustra-
tion the presence of forest trees are shown in the
back ground. Where citrus trees are partly
surrounded by taller trees they apparently derive
considerable protection, as was the case in Florida
where removal of the native oaks caused the death
of sweet seedling trees which had attained a large
size and considerable age under their protecting
influence, In the same manner the effect of
adjacent houses save tender trees which without

the benefit of the latent heat given out by the
buildings and the wind protection afforded by them
PLATE 3.

Row of orange trees bearing fruit having
suffered the January freeze without
injury. Bamboo tops killed by cold
but nevertheless they had sheltered and
protected the oranges before loosing
foliage. Mulberry hedge on right side
of photo,

 
must have suffered from freezes. Further south
in Texas, @.g., in the vicinity of Beeville and in
another case still farther south near Raymondville,
sweet seedlings have endured severe temperatures
even when fully exposed. At the Linke orchard
near Beeville there are nine sweet seedling trees
standing on a high knoll fully exposed to the sweep
of the north wind, The trees have had little
care until recently and examination shows their
growth to have been very slow. These trees as
well as the seedlings near Raymondville which are
similarly located have endured cold which destroyed
partially, or entirely all, the standard oranges
and pomelos of their respective neighborhoods,

In the Rio Grande valley during the past winter the
temperature ranged from 18 degrees F. to £1 degrees
F, in different sections. Large, old sour and
sweet seedling trees usually growing near houses
came through with slight injury. In all cases
where young budded groves were exposed to the wind
and cold by their location in open and flat country
the trees were killed outright or killed down to
the earth mounded about their trunks. This is
illustrated by the accompanying photographs showing

the wariety orchard at the South Texas Garden before

~29~
 

 

PLATE 4.

Orange orchard at the South Texes Garden

at the time of the January 1911 freeze.
Se i ee

 

PLATE 5,
Orange orchard at South Texss Garden after
being killed to the ground by 21.3 degrees
F. in January 1911.
and after the freeze of January 2nd and 3rd, 1911.
Another illustration shows citrus trees of the same
age which were protected by mulberry trees on one
side and bamboo on the other. This protection
enabled the trees to withstand the cold so success~
fully that not even the fruit buds were injured,
They subsequently blossomed and the illustration
shows them bearing a satisfactory crop of fruit,
considering the size and age of the trees. In
an orchard near Brownsville, Texas, belonging to
Mr. Mendenhall, four year old oranges came through
the cold with practically no injury. His or=
chard lies on the south bank of a large “resaca",
or lagoon, perhaps one hundred and fifty yards wide.
During the "norther" a steam like vapor rose from
the surface of the water continuously and was driven
by the wind through the orchard. There is little
question but that this condition saved his orchard,
Artificial Protection,

Several orchardists have provided themselves
with fire-pots as a protection against the sudden
freezes which occur almost annually. In some
instances attempts were made last January to protect
orchards by this means and varying results were

reported. The cold was accompanied by such high

=-30-
PLATE 6.

 

Pomelos in fruit in nursery row. Same
age as trees in orchard and passed through
the freeze of January 1911 without injury
to fruit buds owing to protection of

surrounding bamboo and mulberry trees,
wind that good results were not secured in many
instances, The fire-pots were given an especi-
ally good trial at Er. W. S. Stockwell's orchard
near Alvin, Texas. According to the state~
ments of the man in charge of this orchard, the
Hamilton fire-pot holds three gallons of oil and
burns at the rate of one gallon per hour. The
pots were burned two at each Dugat tree, twelve
hours the first night, twelve hours the second
night and a portion of the third night, verhaps
six hours, making a total of thirty hours firing
for the whole period. This would make sixty
gallons of oil burned at each tree, and, estimat-
ing the cost of the o11 at two cents per gallon,
which amounts to a cost of $1.20 per tree, or
$129.60 per acre of 108 trees. This pays for
the material alone and does not take into consider-
ation the initial cost of pots, plus the cost of
labor for night work. It is probable that the
use Of fire~pots will prove too costly, unless
effective wind-breaks can be used in connection
with them.

The history of the early wild oranges of
Florida, as well as the data collected concerning

the sweet seedlings of Texas, indicates very clearly

- =-3l1<
PLATE 7.

 

Lemon trees at South Texas Garden. Came
through the January 1911 freeze with only

Slight twig injury owing to adequate wind-
break protection,
that the cifrus becomes much more resistant to cold
when adequately protected by wind-breaks,. To
secure sufficient shelter and wind protection,
hovever, requires that the citrus trees be surrounded
practically by leafy screens. While this is
possible from the standpoint of the farmer or gar-
dener who wishes to supply his table, or at most
the local market, with fruit, it is impracticable
taken from the viewpoint of the commercial orange
grower. It is probable that certain growers
who are happily located near bodies of water by
utilizing wind-breaks and fire~pots intelligently
will grow successfully, even to an extent approach-
ing a commercial basis, several varieties of standard
Oranges and pomelos,

The Market.

Aside from the practicability of actually grow-
ing of fruit there is the further consideration of
marketing after its production. This matter
with its possible limiting effect should be es-
pecially considered in connection with the expan-
sion of the Satsuma growing industry. The
Mandarin type of oranges, to which the Satsuma
belongs, has always held a favorable place in the
public esteem as a fancy fruit owing to its kid

~32-
glove feature, and the fact that the sections
separate readily thus allowing eating out of the
hand, However, it is doubtful whether this
type of fruit could hold its own in general con-
petition with the larger and richer standard

round orange. Professor H. Harold Hume in

his book on Citrus Fruits, states, that oranges of
the Mandarin type should be grown as fancy fruit
only, and that the demand warrants the planting of
comparatively few trees in proportion to the larger
plantings of standard round oranges. He states
that when due attention is given to fertilization,
cultivation, grading, etc. the fruit has a place as
a strictly fancy article on the American markets;
inferior fruit of this type he considers worthless,
Professor William A. Taylor, Acting Chief of the
Bureau of Plant Industry, states, that the Satsuma,
notwithstanding the long period during which it

has been grown in this country both in Plorida

and California, has not yet reached a real carload
basis in either state. There has never been a
sufficient demand for the fruit in the market to
justify plantings that would produce carload quanti-
ties.* Mr. G. Harold Powell, Fomologist in

* See U.S.Department of Agriculture circular ,Agri-
cultural Conditions in Texss,.

=~ 3 Bu
Charge of Fruit Transportation and Storage Inves-
tigations, states that the Satsuma orange from
Texas would compete with the early Florida fruit
(standard orange), and, also, with the Valencia
Late from California, The Satsuma is an
edible orange for only a short time and would
therefore be at a disadvantage in competition
with fruit of better quality,* - and he further
gays in effect, that where round oranges can be
produced the Satsuma is not considered worth
growing. According to the statement of Er.
Floyd S. Tenney, the commission men of New
Brieans find difficulty in disposing of the
Oranges of Mandarin type which are produced in
the delta of the Nississinpi river and these
men as well as others with whom he talked in
St. Louis, Missouri, offer no encouragement for
the successful marketing of any considerable
quantity of Satsuma oranges.

Conclusion.

In view of the facts it would seem that
commercial orange growing in Texas cannot reason-
ably be expected. Soils are in the main satis-
factory but climatic conditions are not. The
temperature records and actual experience prove
that standard oranges, pomelos and lemons even on

* See U.S.Dept. of Agriculture circular "Agricul-
tural Conditions in Southern Texas."

-34=
hardy Trifoliata stock are killed to the ground
throughout the Gulf Coast even to the southernmost
limits of the state, and the frequency of these
disastrous freezes make citrus culture too pre-

carious to interest the conservative investor.

The Satsuma in the Houston-Galveston District can
be grown safely and produced in any quantity which
the market will take. It is simply a matter
of whether or not thés small kid glove orange can
compete with the round oranges which are liable to
be marketed at the same time. In specially
favored localities in the Rio Grande Valley it is
probable that standard oranges and grape fruits can
be produced, even ina comercial way provided skill
is exercised and all precautionary measures taken.
Although the Trifoliata stock does not do well in
the Valley and the Satsuma does not flourish on any
other stock than the Trifoliata, still this variety
can be produced on its own root (see illustration)
and this will furnish a family fruit where the
minimum amount of care can be given the trees.

From a domestic standpoint, the writer believes

it possible for every farmer in southernmost Texas,

and the Gulf Coast, to have sufficient oranges,
PLATE 8.

 

Satsuma orange trees growing in the yard

of J. B. McAllen at Brownsville. They
endure soil conditions and bear heavy

crops of very good fruit.
 

grape fruits and lemons for his own table, This
will necessitate full protection of his few trees
by means of wind-breaks and fire-pots, and with
such protection there is no question but that
crops will be pro@uced probably three years out
of five.

From a commercial point of view citrus growing

in Texxns cannot be recommended.
 

et

~—— ee,