248 CITRUS FRUITS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



ing late varieties competition with the sections growing 

 early varieties would be obviated. 



It is, however, the best policy, where weather condi- 

 tions permit, to make a selection of such varieties as will 

 give fruit continually from the early shipping season 

 until the end. The grower who can do this has his fruit 

 in the market all the time and if his fruit is of good 

 quality and it is handled as it should be, his customers 

 can be held for the whole season. Most handlers of 

 fruit much prefer a steady supply of fruit from a relia- 

 ble shipper to having it come in spasmodically. 



The number of varieties selected should not be large. 

 Only he who grows citrus fruits as an amusement or 

 the nurseryman who desires to have a known and relia- 

 ble source from which to secure budwood, or who desires 

 to test the relative merits of varieties, should attempt 

 the planting of any large number. In dollars and cents, 

 it does not pay the ordinary man. Select, at most, a suf- 

 ficient number of varieties to give a continuous crop of 

 good sized, marketable oranges throughout the shipping 

 season and stop at that. 



Just because certain varieties fruit well in some 

 sections and bring fancy prices, planters too fre- 

 quently jump at the conclusion that the same varieties 

 will do as well in other localities far removed from that 

 in which they are apparently at home. In California, 

 the Bahia is the commercial orange, but it would be folly 

 for a Florida grower to plant large areas with this vari- 

 ety. They fruit fairly well on rough lemon and trifol- 

 iate orange stock, but even then it is extremely doubt- 

 ful whether the variety will hold and mature sufficient 

 fruit to make it profitable. The point in question is 

 further illustrated bv the action of some California 



