104 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



referred to as C. nobilis and these varieties are known either 

 as mandarins or tangerines. 



In the early years of its development in Florida the citrus in- 

 dustry made a slow and gradual growth until the season of 

 1884-85, at which time 600,000 boxes of citrus fruits were 

 shipped out of Florida groves. During the next decade the 

 industry increased very rapidly and 6,000,000 boxes of citrus 

 fruits were shipped from Florida in the season of 1894-95. 

 The industry was then greatly crippled by the great freeze, 

 after which it built up rapidly again. For the year ended 

 August 31, 1915, California shipped 40,986 cars of oranges and 

 6,658 cars of lemons. The popularity of the Valencia orange 

 has so greatly increased that it can no longer be said that the 

 California orange industry consists in growing the navel 

 orange. The lemon crop of California in 1915 was more than 

 twice that of the previous year. There are now in California 

 20,000 acres of lemons, 21,000 acres of Valencia orange, and 

 43,500 acres of Washington Navel orange, all 4 years or under 

 in age. When these areas of citrus fruit come into bearing it 

 will greatly increase the output from California. Florida 

 shipped 20,706 carloads of oranges and grapefruit from De- 

 cember, 1914, to August, 1915. 



The recent development of the citrus industry in the United 

 States is due chiefly to cooperative organization, regulated dis- 

 tribution, and the scientific study of methods of packing, pre- 

 cooling, and shipment in refrigeration. The organization of 

 the California Citrus Growers' Association was one of the 

 pioneer associations along the line of agricultural cooperation 

 in the United States, and has been frequently used as a model 

 of efficiency and methods in the organization of other similar 

 associations. The Florida Citrus Exchange is of more recent 

 development, but is of almost, if not quite, equal efficiency as 

 an agency for the scientific distribution of the Florida citrus 

 crop. In addition to the citrus fruit produced in this country, 

 the United States imported in 1914 about 160,000,000 pounds 



