CHAPTER XXXIII 

 THE POMELO OR GRAPE FRUIT IN CALIFORNIA 



This citrus fruit achieved a very sudden interest in California be- 

 cause of the prices commanded by Florida pomeloes about twenty years 

 ago. When this supply of eastern cities was cut off by the serious frost 

 injuries in Florida there arose a passion for planting the trees in Cali- 

 fornia, and a considerable acreage was planted, and as the tree is a very 

 rapid grower and precocious in fruit-bearing, large shipments were 

 made in 1898, but the results were not satisfactory, and since that 

 time, although pomeloes sometimes sell to good advantage, the demand 

 is on the whole light and irregular. The local consumption of pomeloes 

 in California is increasing but does not warrant much acreage. For 

 these reasons early plantings have been largely grafted over to the 

 orange. 



The fruit is a Shaddock (Citrus decumana). Varieties have been 

 secured of smaller size and of blander flavor than the coarse, sour 

 and acrid fruit which is suggested by its name. An effort has been 

 made to secure the favorite varieties, and a large list has been planted 

 in this State, but the fruit does not command the place at the East 

 which was awarded to the Florida product. As a tree the pomelo most 

 nearly resembles the orange and its culture is the same. As for varie- 

 ties, California experience has been too brief and fitful to demonstrate 

 particular value or adaptation in them. Among growers there is no 

 wide agreement as to superiority from a commercial point of view. 

 Amateurs can find many desirable sorts in our citrus nurseries. 



Mr. A. P. Griffith of Azusa is perhaps the most enthusiastic and 

 confident of California growers that the pomelo grown in this State 

 will attain wide popularity in the United States. His grove is now 

 seven acres in extent, nearly all of the Nectar variety which is of the 

 type which he believes should be grown to win public favor. He con- 

 cludes that the market wants a fruit not smaller than 80's and prefers 

 them to stop at 64's. A fruit flat-round that will cut up in two halves 

 each of which will stand upright on a plate, cut side up, seems especially 

 desirable. A fruit that is spherical or pear-shaped is not desired. 

 There are several varieties whose similarity in type would seem to 

 warrant including all under one name. These, with the addition of 

 the seedless, comprise all there is of intrinsic value among California 

 pomeloes. If all other varieties not of this type were budded over, and 

 thus taken out of the market, Mr. Griffith believes the demand would 

 increase. 



Marketing Grape Fruit. The California problem seems to be 

 not only to grow grape fruit acceptable to consumers in distant markets 

 but to place the fruit upon those markets when they are not otherwise 

 well supplied. Recently better results have been attained by shipping 

 during the Valencia season than earlier. When California growers 

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