2 BULLETIN 697^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Consequently, the reputation of California grapefruit in many 

 important markets was below that of fruit from other grapefruit- 

 growing regions, and the culture of this fruit in the State was found 

 to be unprofitable in most instances. 



One of the varieties introduced into California from Florida about 

 1890 was later known as the Marsh, or, as it has been more commonly 

 called, the Marsh Seedless. The trees of this variety were found to 

 produce superior fruits, particularly from the standpoint of commer- 

 cial quality, including the characteristics of a flattened, desirable 

 shape, smooth texture and fine color of rind, few or no seeds, abun- 

 dance of juice, tender and palatable rag, and a highly developed 

 grapefruit flavor. 



The former lack of commercial success of the California grapefruit 

 industry, due to the planting of varieties not suitable for California con- 

 ditions, discouraged extensive plantings of this fruit for many years. 

 The success of the Marsh variety, not only in western but in some 

 eastern markets as well, has led to a recent reawakening of interest 

 in the production of this fruit in California and to extensive commer- 

 cial plantings in several districts. The fruits of the Marsh variety 

 ripen during the late spring and summer months in California. 

 The Florida grapefruit crop is largely marketed during the late fall, 

 winter, and early spring months, so that the California-grown Marsh 

 grapefruit crop can be sold in eastern markets at a time when it does 

 not compete with the Florida crop or the crops of other important 

 grapefruit-growing regions. In addition to the eastern, there are 

 several important California markets which must be supplied with 

 California-grown grapefruit on account of a rigid quarantine against 

 all grapefruit from other districts. This quarantine has been estab- 

 lished by reason of the danger of the introduction of serious citrus 

 pests and diseases into the orchards of that State. 



The Thirteenth Census gives the production of California grape- 

 fruit in 1909 as 122,515 boxes. The production of other important 

 California citrus fruits that year was 14,436,180 boxes of oranges, 

 2,756,221 boxes of lemons, 3,581 boxes of tangerines, and 555 boxes 

 of mandarins. 



The plantings of grapefruit trees in California in 1910 were shown 

 by the Thirteenth Census to total 43,424 bearing trees. Figured at 

 the rate of 90 trees to the acre, these trees were planted on about 

 482 acres. At the same time it was found that there were 25,589 

 trees not in bearing, which, at the rate of planting mentioned above, 

 would amount to 284 acres of nonbearing trees. 



The plantings in 1915, as shown by figures compiled by the Cali- 

 fornia Fruit Growers' Exchange,^ consisted of 56,224 trees, or about 

 625 acres in bearing, and 203,580 trees, or about 2,262 acres, not in 



1 Letter from F. O. Wallschlaeger, Los Angeles, Gal., June 7, 1916. 



