78 



BULLETIN 813, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



shows that with the trees of the Eureka, Small-Open, and Denser 

 Productive strains the period of highest seed content corresponds in 

 general with the time of the heaviest production of fruit. 



Table XVIII. — Average number of seeds per fruit picked from lemon trees of the various 

 strains of the Eureka variety in the investigational performance-record jilat during each 

 month of the S-year period from July, 1911, to June, 1916, inclusive. 



Num- 

 ber 

 of 

 trees. 



Descripcion of trees. 



July 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May 



June 



7.13 



6.27 



4.83 



4.00 



3.99 



4.18 



5.13 



8.06 



9.62 



12.23 



10.92 



9.67 



6.87 



6.36 



.5.20 



3. .50 



3. .54 



4.46 



6.04 



8.93 



9.29 



11.85 



10. 63 



8.46 



5. 25 



6.69 



6.59 



3.00 



2.22 



3.69 



4. .33 



7. 50 



8.42 



10. 52 



11.80 



9.20 



6.7.5 



5.00 



4.39 



2.86 



3.08 



3.07 



4.49 



7.22 



8.07 



9.90 



9.81 



8.80 



6.18 



5. .32 



4.16 



3. 33 



3.14 



3.29 



4.15 



6.64 



8.15 



10.29 



9.11 



8.30 



,s.on 



3.60 



1.13 



1.60 



.57 



1.18 



1.21 



3.05 



2.25 



4.06 



3.95 



3.72 



2.75 



2.38 



1.82 



1.97 



1.17 



.68 



.95 



1.58 



3.46 



3.57 



3.78 



4.38 



2.88 



1.92 



1.52 



2.01 



.94 



..53 



.94 



1.26 



2.66 



2.41 



3.41 



3.65 



1.93 



1.67 



1.40 



1.28 



.69 



.78 



.99 



1.57 



3.00 



3.65 



3.16 



2.76 



For 

 the 

 pe- 

 riod. 



76 

 10 



2 



10 



117 



2 

 10 

 10 



17 



Eureka strain 



Higliest producing (all 

 Eureka strain) 



Dense-Productive strain... 



Small-Open strain 



Entire plat 



Pear-Shape strain 



Dense-Unproductive strain 



Lowest producing (irre- 

 spective of strain) 



Shade-Tree strain 



7.10 



7.02 

 6.51 

 6.03 

 5. 92 

 2.-34 

 2.26 



1.90 



1.84 



COMPARATIVE VALUE OF THE STRAINS. 



The individual-tree performance-record studies of the Eureka 

 lemon strains, and observations of typical trees of these strains in 

 many orchards in different citrus districts have led to certain con- 

 clusions as to the comparative -value of the different strains for com- 

 mercial lemon production in California under existing cultural and 

 marketing conditions. 



In the Eureka variety only the Eureka, or Productive, strain has 

 given satisfactory production from all standpoints. Its tendency to 

 produce fruits throughout all seasons of the year is a valuable one. 

 This characteristic of continual bearing has been the main reason for 

 the planting of the Eureka variety by citrus growers in many districts. 



The fruits of the Eureka strain are of desirable shape for making a 

 satisfactory commercial package. The juice has a high percentage 

 of acidity and is of superior quality. The fruits, after curing, develop 

 a smooth texture of rind, have a light yellowish or strawlike color, 

 giving them a waxlike appearance, and remain solid and firm when 

 handled in the market. 



The Variegated strain is of some value in a very limited way, par- 

 ticularly for ornamental purposes. The striking appearance of the 

 striped leaves and fruits has led many persons living in the citrus 

 districts of California to grow one or more of the Variegated trees in 

 their home grounds. The fruits, while of little commercial value, 

 are of fair quality for home use. 



The other strains of the Eureka variety studied in these investiga- 

 tions are of little or no commercial value. Some of them, such as 

 the Shade-Tree, the Pear-Shape, and the Sporting strains are actually 



