4 BIJLLETIlsr 697^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



fflSTORY OF THE VARIETY. 



The Marsh variety of grapefruit was introduced by Mr. C. M. 

 Marsh, at Lakeland, Fla.* The original tree was one of a grove of 

 large seedling grapefruit trees near the city of Lakeland owned by 

 Mr. Marsh. 



In 1895 this tree was killed to the ground during the freeze of that 

 year, at which time it was 50 or 60 years old. Previous to the freeze, 

 Mr. Marsh had begun to propagate from this tree, on account of the 

 superior qualities of its fruits, which were commercially seedless,^ 

 usually producing only three to five seeds. At the time of the freeze 

 he had some 50,000 or 60,000 nursery trees budded from the parent 

 tree and its progeny, but these trees were killed by the freeze. For- 

 tunately, before the freeze, Mr. Marsh had collected and stored in 

 his packing house about 70,000 buds for spring budding. After the 

 freeze, all available stocks were budded with these stored buds, and 

 from this propagation about 10,000 young trees were secured. The 

 distribution of these trees and buds cut from them marked the intro- 

 duction of this variety in Florida. It was about this time that the 

 name Marsh Seedless was given to the variety by the originator. 

 Later, the American Pomological Society adopted the name Marsh, 

 instead of Marsh Seedless, for this variety. 



The first introduction of the Marsh variety into California was 

 probably accomplished by the nursery firm of Twogood & Cutter, at 

 Riverside. In a letter ^ from J. E, Cutter the following account of 

 this introduction is given : 



In 1890, Dr. N. A. Claflin, later horticultural commissioner of Riverside County, 

 went to Florida as agent to ship stock for the nursery trade of Twogood & Cutter. 

 Returning, he brought a small bundle of seedless grapefruit trees, obtained at Lake- 

 land or vicinity. He did not report the name "Marsh Seedless, " but the Marsh is 

 understood to have originated at that place, and there can be no reasonable doubt 

 that they were such. I do not know of any other strain. One of these trees was 

 planted by myself in my (present) home grounds, where it still stands. So far as I 

 know and believe, it was the first "seedless" to bear fruit in this State, but doubtless 

 others also obtained the variety from Florida. 



The tree planted by Mr. Cutter in his home grounds is shown in 

 Plate I. It is the true Marsh variety beyond question. 



Many of the Marsh grapefruit orchards in California were planted 

 with trees which were propagated by Twogood & Cutter or other 

 California nurserymen from the Claflin introduction. A few orchards 

 were planted with Florida-grown trees or from later introductions 

 of Marsh bud wood from Florida. 



I Personal statement of Mr. Marsh, Jacksonville, Fla., May, 1916. 



s The presence of not over 12 seeds per fruit is considered by the California Grapefruit Club as permissible 

 in fruits designated as commercially seedless. 

 3 Letter from Mr. Cutter, Riverside, Cal., June 13, 1916. 



