76 STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



white (like the orange), large and fleshy (like the citron), and 

 arranged in large clusters. Fruit of most varieties extraordi- 

 narily large, round or pyriform, with a smooth yellow skin. 

 Tree a rapid grower and prolific bearer, with short and often 

 flattened branches. 



Owing to the incomplete research and lack of knowledge of 

 the species Pomelanus, a hybrid, botanists have confounded it 

 with Decumana, and have joined the two under the latter 

 name, but it has no place there. That Pomelanus (pomelo) 

 was confounded with Decumana (shaddock) was no doubt on 

 account of its having sprung from the latter and on account of 

 both species bearing fruits of extraordinary size; decumana 

 (Latin for huge) has been indiscriminately applied to both. 



The chief characteristics of all these fruits, distinguishing 

 them from the different varieties of the orange, are associated 

 with their size and color. They are all, or nearly all, larger 

 than the largest orange, and are uniformly of a pale yellow. 

 In texture the rind may be smooth or even polished; it is sel- 

 dom rough, nearly always firm, and not very thick. The pulp 

 is pale yellow or greenish white, sometimes pink or crimson; 

 the vesicles (juice bags) of the pulp are more distinct than in 

 the orange; very juicy, somewhat sweetish, with a distinct but 

 agreeable, bitter flavor. The pith surrounding the segments 

 possesses more of the bitter than the pulp, but it is less agree- 

 able, and on that account is never eaten. In shape these fruits 

 vary a good deal. Some are quite globular, others somewhat 

 flattened at the top and tapering below, forming a pear-shaped 

 body. Even in the globular fruits the top is more or less 

 flattened. There are none, we believe, pointed at both ends. 



The special alkaloid of most varieties of the pomelo contains 

 a bitter principle, which, while its medicinal virtues are con- 

 ceded, has not yet, I regret to say, been defined by chemical 

 examination. Neither is it safe to consider it quinine, for 

 there are scores of vegetable bitters which are not quinine. 

 The presumption therefore is, that it is a unique bitter prin- 

 ciple peculiar to this fruit. 



Observations made by William C. Fuller, of Colton, and 

 myself show that large confluent and well-defined oil cells in 

 the citrus indicate sweet fruit, and especially does this law of 

 energy follow when applied to the pomelo. Considering the 

 purpose for which the demand for this fruit comes, tendency 



