ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 157 



more or less developed in all specimens, at the blossom end of 

 the fruit, from which peculiarity it derives its name. It has 

 been thought to be a shy bearer, but has recently been proven 

 to bear well in this climate, and, for aught I know, to bear 

 heavily. It is a fine large orange, extraordinarily handsome in 

 appearance, and seedless. The tree is a great grower and 

 almost thornless. Its keeping and shipping qualities have not 

 yet been fully tested, but they are considered to be good. 



The Washington or Riverside Navel is a superb orange, and 

 will now divide the honors with my Mediterranean Sweet. Its 

 introduction into this country is as follows, according to the 

 Riverside Press: The Riverside Navel is a direct importation 

 from Bahia, Brazil, through the Agricultural Department at 

 Washington. Until the trees fruited it was supposed to be the 

 same as the Navel previously imported to this State from Florida 

 and Australia. As soon as the Bahia trees fruited it was 

 seen at a glance that the fruit was superior to the Navel im- 

 ported from other places, and the superiority of the fruit was 

 so marked that it was at once named the Riverside Navel to 

 distinguish it from the other Navel, which was then called the 

 Australian Navel, to distinguish the two. The cause of differ- 

 ence in the two Navels is not so easy of explanation, but it is 

 generally thought that the Riverside Navel, being a direct im- 

 portation, is pure, while those trees brought from Australia, 

 more particularly, might have been propagated on inferior stocks 

 for a number of years, until the fruit had deteriorated in quality. 



The Malta Blood is my third choice. As its name implies, 

 the flesh is spotted and streaked with deep crimson. Some- 

 times almost the whole flesh of the orange is crimson. It has a 

 fine flavor, and is in every respect a first-class orange. The 

 tree is a good grower and thornless. 



The Thin-skinned or Paper-rind St. Michael I introduced 

 into this county. It is a small bat first-class orange of very 

 fine flavor. The tree is thorny, a good grower and very prolific 

 bearer. 



8* 



