198 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



country, because it is not a good fruit for ship- 

 ping. The cuttings were overlooked for some 

 time, then sent to a grower at Riverside. Two of 

 the scions lived when grafted on an orange tree. 



Upon this new fruit the orange industry rests. 



The parent tree of the Washington Navel orange 



is now growing and bearing fruit in front of the 



Glenwood Inn, while trees by thousands represent 



the offspring of cuttings it has yielded in years past. 



Strangely enough, the soil and climate of south- 

 ern California makes of this variety a different 

 fruit from the South American form. One of the 

 chief merits of the Washington Navel is its 

 keeping qualities in overland transit. 



The harvest of oranges in California begins in 

 time to supply the Christmas trade. Navels are 

 picked and shipped from November till May. 

 Valencias, a European, seeded variety, the best 

 and most popular late orange, from June to Sep- 

 tember. Malta Blood, a red-fleshed, small fruit 

 of excellent quality, from March to June. 

 Mediterranean Sweets, of good size and few seeds, 

 fine in flavor and texture, from April to July. 

 St. Michaels, fine, juicy fruit with very thin rind, 

 May to July. These are the standard varieties 

 grown for market. 



Tangerines and Mandarin oranges are loose from 



