8 BULLETIN 624, U. S, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



purpose. 1 The culls are not sized, but their number and weight are 

 recorded. 



The field notes are transferred to annual record sheets, illustrations 

 of their use being shown in the upper part of section A of Table III, 

 and these notes in turn are transferred to period record sheets, 

 illustrations of the use of which are shown in other parts of the same 

 table. Thus the record of each tree is assembled in one place for 

 comparative study. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME OF THE IMPORTANT STRAINS. 



In addition to the performance records, as opportunity permits 

 descriptive notes are secured of typical trees and fruits of the differ- 

 ent strains. Inasmuch as the greatest commercial importance lies 

 in the character of the fruits, the main emphasis in these records is 

 placed upon the characteristics of the fruits of the important strains 

 and their relative commercial value. 



Brief descriptions of some of the important Valencia strains aris- 

 ing from bud variations which have been found in the investigational 

 performance-record plats are here given. 



VALENCIA STRAIN. 



The trees of the Valencia strain vary considerably in regularity of 

 production and as a whole may be divided into three general classes: 

 (1) Regular producers, (2) alternate-season producers, and (3) irregu- 

 lar producers, bearing full crops only at infrequent intervals. This 

 condition indicates that the Valencia strain as here considered is 

 probably made up of several minor strains, which upon further inves- 

 tigation may be classed among the major strains. The trees, as a 

 rule, have an erect and spreading habit of growth, developing open 

 heads with large rounded leaves. 



The typical fruits of this strain, illustrations of which are shown 

 in Plate I, are globular, with a tendency to flattened blossom ends; 

 size medium; texture of skin smooth; color bright orange ; rind thin; 

 rag tender; juice abundant and sweet; seeds from none to 10, aver- 

 aging in these observations about 3 per fruit. The fully ripened 

 fruits have a good quality, inferior only to that of the Washington 

 Navel orange among California citrus fruits. Under certain climatic 

 conditions the ripe fruits on the trees are likely to start a new growth, 

 resulting in the fruits turning green in color. This second develop- 

 ment of green color is likely to disappear after picking, and its loss 

 can be hastened by increasing the temperature and humidity condi- 

 tions of the stored fruits. 



1 Shamel, A. D. Citrus-fruit improvement: How to secure and use tree-performanee records. IT. S. 

 Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 794, tab. 1, pp. 10-11. 1917. 



