172 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



start an orange orchard. We cannot afford to take chances any 

 longer. The man who buds his trees, and who is careful in the 

 selection of his buds, will reap a golden harvest ; but he who 

 depends upon the caprice of nature will repent of his folly when 

 it will be too late. 



"Extract from the Florida Agrictdtiirist^ April, 1877, taken 

 from a report of the Florida Fruit Growers' Association -on the 

 nomenclature of the citrus family : 



"'Seedling oranges differ in quality, and in order that Medi- 

 terranean and West India fruit maybe excluded from our north- 

 ern and western markets, none but the best varieties should be 

 propagated, cultivated and marketed, as is done with apples, 

 pears, grapes and other fruits. When the finer varieties of 

 oranges shall have been named, propagated, planted in quantity 

 and carefully and honestly marketed, they will be purchased as 

 particular varieties, and not as the mixed product of any particular 

 grove or locality. If such a course be pursued, fruit possessing 

 superior qualities, and sold under distinguishing names, will be 

 sought after, and will command remunerative prices; while 

 mixed samples, unknown and inferior varieties, will become a 

 drug in the market, and will not pay commissions and cost of 

 transportation. We feel assured that orange growing must be 

 placed on the same basis as apple and pear culture, and the 

 fruit marketed under known, distinguishing and specific names, 

 so that a name shall be a guarantee for certain qualities or 

 properties, as is the case with other fruits. 



"'Your committee were selected by the Duval Agricultural 

 Society to judge the fruit at the late fair. They took advantage 

 of their official position to examine and test the fruit from va- 

 rious sections of the State. Their researches established the 

 fact that locality exerts less influence, as regards the quality of 

 oranges, than is commonly supposed. It is a generally received 

 opinion that the oranges of Indian river are noted for their 

 thinness of skin and sweetness and lusciousness of juice. Your 

 committee were requested to examine and name a variety of 

 orange from a grove on Indian river. An examination revealed 

 the fact that the fruit was very acid, and the skin the thickest of 

 any on exhibition. Some very superior varieties, grown in 



