THE POMERANGE 



A Natural Hybrid Between the Orange and Pomelo 



THE readiness with which mem- 

 bers of the Citrus family yield 

 results to artificial cross-pollina- 

 tion, as witness the citrange and 

 tangelo, gives rise to some wonder as to 

 why there are so few natural hybrids in 

 the family. The bees and other insects, 

 whose constant visitation of the flowers 

 must cause, in the course of time, a 

 frequent interchange of pollen between 

 the orange, lemon, pomelo, lime and 

 citron, seldom make their influence 

 felt in the production of new fruits. 

 The most probable solution of the 

 matter, it seems to me, is that the fruit 

 is nearly all sent to market, and the 

 seed that might bring forth the hybrids 

 is thus lost to cultivation. 



Two well-marked hybrids of the 

 pomelo have appeared in the seedling 

 orange grove of the late E. D. M. 

 Perkins, at Winter Garden, Orange 

 County, Florida, and both were pro- 

 duced without the intervention of 

 artificial means. 



Soon after the disastrous freeze of 

 February, 1895, Mr. Perkins left his 

 grove and removed to the National 

 capital. For fifteen years the place 

 was practically neglected. Groui)s of 

 sprouts growing around the stumps of 

 the frozen trunks became large bearing 

 trees. 



During a sojourn on his place in the 

 winter of 1910, Mr. Perkins noticed a 

 tall tree having the general api^earance 

 of the ])omelo, but which bore fruits of 

 a deep golden color, egg-shaped and of 

 large size, some of them weighing as 

 much as two pounds each. They were 

 found to be quite tart, with a thick, 

 white inner rind having the character- 

 istic bitterness of the pomelo, and with 

 abundant seeds. The flavor was quite 

 like that of the pomelo, but with more 

 acid than the Ixtter sorts, although the 

 fruit was found to im])r(jvc in sweetness 

 as it hung longer on the tree. The 

 fruits were found growing in large 

 clusters like the ponK lo, Iml tlic color 



102 



was like that of a superior orange. 

 There was no russeting of the coat, 

 and the surface was smooth and glossy. 



One peculiarity of the Kcglcr orange, 

 with which Mr. Perkins stocked his 

 grove, was a plainly marked ring or 

 nimbus, from one to one and one-half 

 inches in diameter, at the blossom end 

 of the fruit, indicating some admixture 

 of navel strains, and this sort cf a 

 circle was found on the same place on 

 the new fruit. 



Specimens of the new h\brid were 

 sent to the writer by his father, on 

 whose place it was found, with the 

 statement that it was undoubtedly a 

 natural cross between the pomelo and 

 orange. The name of "pomerange" 

 was suggested for the fruit by the 

 writer when he forwarded the specimens 

 to the pomologist of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry in January, 1911, and 

 it was described anci entered under that 

 name at the time, in the Bureau. So 

 far as known, the tree has borne 

 regular crops since, maintaining in every 

 particular the size, color and quality 

 of the fruits first noticed. 



The flavor of the pomerange is rather 

 too tart, when it first ripens, but later 

 a more distinct orange taste develops. 

 The fruit is a real pachyderm, as the 

 skin is in some places, notabh- at the 

 stem end, nearly an inch thick, but this 

 feature adds much to its good shipping 

 qualities. The tree is now owned by 

 Adam C. Perkins, of the Post-Office 

 Department in Washington, a son of 

 the original e)wner and discoverer of 

 the fruit. 



The other hybrid, jjrobalily a cross 

 between the pomelo and the lemon, is 

 of a very tart and somewhat bitter taste, 

 and perhaijs worthy of only a passing 

 notice. In shape it is like the ordi- 

 nary pomelo, bilt of a deeper color, 

 and the oil cells are \(-r\- large and 

 abundant. 



Ll^•l)S.^v S. Phkkins. 

 Wasliinglon, 1). C. 



