52 STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



proved of such exceptional quality and is in such general favor 

 that its production overtops all other varieties. 



The name " Washington Navel " was applied to this variety 

 in California, to distinguish it from the "Australian Navel," a 

 shy bearer with a similar peculiar mark, and because it was 

 received from Washington, having been imported from Brazil 

 by the Department of Agriculture. It was for a time called 

 "Bahia" (place of origin), also "Riverside Navel," denoting 

 the locality where the first trees were planted, and which are 

 the parents of all trees of this variety in the State. 



The first orange shipments consist of the Washington Navel, 

 which constitute over one half of the output, but it is shipped 

 later in the season, extending into June and July. 



Fruit large, highly colored, solid and heavy, skin smooth 

 and of a very fine texture, very juicy, highly flavored, with 



melting pulp, seedless (except 

 occasionally evidently the re- 

 sult of pollen influence). Tree 

 semi-dwarf, good and prolific 

 bearer, medium thorny, a rapid 

 grower and early bearer. Fo- 

 liage deep green, heavy and 

 compact, leaves large and prom- 

 inently winged. Branches deep 



First picture of the Navel orange on 



record. green and smooth, inclined to 



roundish. Stock sturdy, with 



well-balanced limbs. The blossoms are double (having a 

 secondary blossom within), rarely have any pollen. Ripens 

 early. * 



Most of the early publications of Brazil mention the Lavanja 

 de ombigo Navel orange. The first illustration of the Navel 

 orange appears in a volume, " Table XVI Historise Naturalis 

 de Arboribus et Fructibus, Libri Decem. Johannis Jonstoni, 

 Medicine Doctoris. Francofurti o/m, MDCLXJI" (" The Natu- 

 ral History of Trees and Fruits, Ten Books. By John John- 

 son, Doctor of Medicine. Frankfort on Main, 1662"), referred 

 to as Aurantium fcetiferum. The accompanying illustration, 

 photographed from the original plate in the library of Prof. 

 Edw. L. Greene, of the Catholic University of America, at 

 Washington, D. C., was secured through the kindness of Wm. 

 A. Taylor, Assistant U. S. Pomologist, to whom the writer is 



