24 



CITRUS FRUITS IN CALIFORNIA: 



rives its name from the peculiar umbilical for- 

 mation on the summit or blossom end of the 

 fruit. In California it has reached its highest 

 stage of perfection, and stands in the lead of 

 all other varieties for its large size, luscious- 

 ness and sweetness of pulp, so that it well de- 

 serves the title of "King of Oranges." Tree is 

 a rapid grower and an early and prolific crop- 

 per. Fruit juicy, melting, seedless. November 

 to March. 



Valencia Late. Fruit oblong, large, re- 

 sembles Paper Rind St. Michael in color and 

 firmness ; ripens very late, reaching the mar- 

 ket when all other varieties are gone. A valu- 

 able variety and only second to the Washing- 

 ton Navel in the extent of its dissemination. 

 In localities not subject to late frosts it should 

 be extensively planted. Will hold its fruit in 

 good condition as late as September. 



Willow-Leaved Mandarin. Tree a very com- 

 pact grower, and desirable for ornament. 

 Fruit medium size, flattened, deep yellow ; 

 skin thin ; segments loosely adherent ; flesh 

 dark orange yellow, spicy and aromatic. De- 

 cember to February. 



NEW VARIETIES 



Golden Nugget Navel. Introduced by R. M. 

 Teague of San Dimas, California. Tree a vig- 

 orous grower of good habit, thornless ; foliage 

 dark green, abundant lateral or fruiting 

 branches, and very symmetrical; easily distin- 

 guished in a grove of other varieties. The 

 tree presents a rather umbrageous appearance 

 due to the slender willowy growth of the 

 younger branches. The fruit is of a deep 

 golden color, very smooth, solid and thin 

 skinned, the exterior being strongly suggestive 

 of kid gloves to the touch so smooth and even 

 is the surface; shape rather oblong, good size; 

 pulp is deliciously sweet, free from rag and is 

 seedless. November to March. 



Navelencia. This new sort is commanding 

 some attention from growers. Said to be a 

 cross between the Thomson's Improved Navel 



and the Valencia Late, it possesse^ all the 

 good qualities of its parents, and ripens fully 

 60 days later than the Washington Navel, thus 

 extending the season for marketing Navels 

 until the early summer months. In character 

 of growth and in the fine texture of the fruit 

 it is said to resemble other Navels ; it is seed- 

 less. Worthy of trial. April to June. 



Cluster of Washington Navel Oranges. 



THE LEMON: GROWING, CURING, PACKING. 



The lemon will not stand as low a 

 temperature as the orange, hence its 

 planting for commercial purposes is 

 restricted to localities where the tem- 

 perature during the winter months 

 does not go lower than 24 degrees 

 Fahrenheit above zero. The tree is a 

 strong upright grower and the 

 branches must be held in check by 

 systematic annual pruning, which 

 causes a liberal development of late- 

 ral branches and keeps the tree in a 

 low symmetrical form, thus facilitat- 

 ing the gathering of the crop. Fruit 

 should be picked as soon as it has at- 

 tained its size and just before turn- 

 ing. For home use, each fruit should 

 be wrapped and placed in a box in a 

 cool place. After a few months the 

 lemon will have become quite yellow 

 in color with thin skin and will be 

 full of juice. Lemons allowed to 



ripen on the tree are thick skinned, 

 deficient in juice, develop extreme bit- 

 terness and are in every way inferior. 

 For commercial purposes lemons are 

 cured before shipping in specially 

 designed houses. 



In localities where the conditions 

 are congenial for its perfect develop- 

 ment, flowers, immature and mature 

 fruit ready to pick will be found on 

 the same tree. A few trees are always 

 a desirable addition to the wants of 

 every home, and by taking precau- 

 tion to plant in a protected spot, a 

 good supply of fruit is always avail- 

 able. The tree is a very prolific bear- 

 er. Any soil in which the orange 

 thrives is well adapted to the lemon. 



The lemon requires more vigorous 

 pruning than the orange and in order 

 to get the best results, the tree should 

 be pruned from the first year after 



