STRIKING VALENCIA VARIATIONS 
At the left-is shown the Standard Valencia orange, a California variety which has almost a 
monopoly of the eastern markets in the summer. 
Valencia, to which the name of;Paper Rind has been given. 
of the last generation indicates that this particular bud sport has often occurred. 
At the right is a bud sport of the 
Evidence from orange growers 
This 
particular Valencia strain appears to be identical with the true Paper Rind St. Michael 
which originated as a bud variation of the St. Michael. 
(Fig. 7.) 
I therefore regard them as proof that 
the ‘paper rind’ St. Michael is a sport. 
You will remember that the ‘reverted 
types’ were of the thicker skin, deeper 
color, and looser texture of common 
fruit while the ‘paper rind’ is the 
thinnest of skin, pale and exceedingly 
compact and firm textured.” 
Mr. Cutter’s observations as to the 
origin of the Paper Rind St. Michael are 
all the more interesting in view of the 
fact that in the course of the fruit 
improvement investigations which Mr. 
Shamel is conducting in California, a 
smooth, thin skin strain of Valencia 
orange has been found which apparently 
is identical with the Paper Rind St. 
Michael. The finding of this strain of 
Valencia, and the fact that Mr. Cutter 
in 1887 observed a St. Michael tree the 
fruits of which reverted back to a 
larger coarser strain would seem to be 
almost conclusive proof that the Paper 
Rind St. Michael variety originated as 
a bud sport or bud variation. How 
valuable it would be if we could secure 
authentic information concerning all our 
fruit varieties. No doubt if we could 
$54 
Photograph slightly reduced. 
get at the truth concerning the origin 
of our fruit varieties we would find that 
many varieties of supposedly “‘chance 
seedling’’ origin had in reality originated 
as bud variations. 
Mr. Cutter sent samples of the sport- 
ing fruits to a number of people in 
Florida and E. H. Hart, of Federal 
Point, Fla., previously referred to, ina 
letter on May 21, 1887, to Prof. H. E. 
Van Deman made the following com- 
ment: 
“Yours of the eighteenth together 
with Mr. Cutter’s letter and_ the 
Specimens of oranges were received 
today. Fruits like these are occasion- 
ally seen upon our orange trees and in 
general I have attributed their pecu- 
liariities to cross-fertilization but in a 
strongly marked case like that tree of 
Mr. Cutter’s, it must be owing either 
to the influences upon the condition of 
the tree of the injuries formerly re- 
ceived, or it may be an instance of bud 
variation. The reverting tendency may 
have existed in the particular bud used 
in working over the tree. I have an old 
bearing tree which has always produced 
