IMPROVEMENT OF CITEUS FRUITS THROUGH BUD SELECTION, 7 



when grown undor favorable conditions were other factors that en- 

 tered into the decision regarding the selection of this variet}^ for the 

 work. As the work i)rogresses the trees which consistenth* yield 

 favorable data should ])eeonie the source of improved stock for plant- 

 ing, thus greatly enhancing their value for expei'imental demonstra- 

 tion purposes and making possible the early practical utilization of 

 the information ol)tained. 



In addition to the Washington Navel orange, work with the Marsh 

 pomelo was begun during the season of 1910. The picking of the 

 fruit from the selected Washington Navel orange trees began January 

 1, 1910, and continued initil April 15. The pomelos were picked 

 from April 15 to fJune 15. The diU'ercnt picking periods of the two 

 fruits enal)led work upon both to be carried on without interference. 

 The Marsh pomelo was selected for the reason that it is the most im- 

 portant commercial variety of pomelo grown in California, on account 

 of tiie importance and desirability of securing uniform t3^pes of this 

 fruit similar to the splendid individual trees both as regards quantity 

 and quality of fruit found in some of the established groves of the 

 variet}', and because it oti'ered the most promising tield for the pro- 

 duction of a perfectly seedless and valuable pomelo for southern Cali- 

 fornia conditions. 



The extension of this work to other classes of citrus fruits is highly 

 desirable. In southern California numerous requests have been made 

 urging that lemons be included in the work, in order that reliable 

 select stock may be obtained for extensive new plantings of this fruit. 

 In some cases prospective lemon planters are carrying on the work 

 for themselves, with the writer's advice and direction, with every 

 prospect of success in the securing of reliable data for their own 

 information and use. 



This type of investigation should ultimately be extended to all val- 

 uable varieties of citrus or other fruits. All varieties do not behave 

 alike and may differ in their hereditary tendencies, so that in order to 

 draw conclusions regarding the behavior of any variety it will be 

 necessary first to demonstrate the facts by actual tests. 



LOCATION OF PERFORMANCE-RECORD PLATS. 



The Washington Navel orange improvement work is done on the 

 Eureka and \ ivienda ranches belonging to the National Orange Co., 

 near Riverside, Cal. The Marsh pomelo work is conducted on the 

 Dixon ranch, operated by JMr. L. V. ^^'. Brown, near Riverside, and 

 on the Mutual ranch of the National Orange Co., near Corona, Cal. 



The terra '"pin-formance-record i)lat" is here used to designate the 

 collection of trees selected for o))taining comparative data as to varia- 

 tion in the performance of individual trees. The Washington Navel 

 orange plats will be described in order to illustrate the methods by 

 which these data are obtained. 



[Cir. 77] 



