HORTICULTUKE. 



661 



Fruiting of the hardy orange (Aiiier. (Jard., J3 [UK),:!), No. 416, i^P- 797, 798). — 

 It is rejiortt'd that J. L. Xcjnnaiiil, of Marksville, La., has succeeded in producing 

 a hardy orauge that will withstand a zero teuiperature. Ten years ago the hardy 

 Trifoliata orange was crossed on the Satsuma variety of the sweet orange, for the 

 purpose of securing hardiness combined with a palatable fruit. Some of the fruit 

 obtained from this cross measured 65 in. in circumference. It had a globular form 

 and bright yellow color, with a smooth, thin, and clean skin. The seeds were 

 fewer than in the ordinary sweet orange and the quality was very fair. The tree is 

 said to be prolific. The foliage is that of the Satsuma while the stems and branches 

 have the thorns of tlie Trifoliata. 



Comparative examination of shipping navel oranges from the northern, 

 middle, and southern parts of the State, G. E. Colby {California Sin. Rpt. 1899- 

 1901, pf. 2, pp. J4o-2.'>l). — Tliis is a itreliniinary report on a sj'stematic study of the 

 progress of the maturing of navel oranges in the 3 citrus centers of the State of Cali- 

 fornia. Analyses are reported of 5 samples of shipping navel oranges from the 

 northern California citrus region, 7 from the San Joaquin Valley, and 16 from the 

 southern citrus region. The averages of those packed during the month November 

 23 to December 23, compared with the sta,ndard for California navels^ are shown in 

 the following table: 



Coinpvsltiun of Califurnia sliippliKj narcl vrangof. 



Northern region 



San JcjiKiuin Valley region 



Southern region 



Standard for California 

 navels 



Flavor 



(30 

 points). 



The quantity of sugar in oranges is believed to be a safe guide to the degree of 

 ripeness of the fruit. The ratio of acid to sugar in standard California navels is 1 per 

 cent of acid to 10.5 per cent of sugar. In the tal)le above the proportion varies from 

 1:7 or nearly 8 in all the shii)ping navels of November and December. This fruit is 

 roughly estimated to be about four-fifths ripe. 



"It seems inj probable that the shipping fruit of November and December would 

 ever ripen enough in transit, or afterwards in the market, to bring up the sugar to 

 that produced in the orchard in later-picked fruit, or to that of the standard. Our 

 experience with keeping oranges over 2 months has been that the increase in sugar 

 is very small — only ^ of a point; e. g., from 10 to only 10.3 per cent total sugar." 



In one instance a sample of oranges picked in the northern district December 5 

 contained 10.52 per cent of sugar. "This amount of sugar is only found in one other 

 sam])le, the March 12 navel from Duarte, southern California region. Probably, as 

 thelnorthern orchards grow older, it will be more common for their earliest output 

 to reach full maturity in early December. At any rate there seems to be a possibility 

 of navels attaining very early full maturity in the northern citrus regions." 



A table of anaryses of shipping and fully ripe navels for the 3 citrus districts noted 

 above for fruit picked between November 23 and March 12 is also included in the 

 rei)ort. 



Diagrams for packing citrus fruits, il. H. Hume {Florida Sia. Bui. 63, folio, 

 /r/.s. .;, d(j)it.'<. o4). — Diagrams are given showing how different sizes of sweet oranges, 

 Satsuma oranges, pomelos, numdarins, lemons, and limes should be packed. The 



