14 



BULLETIN 697^ V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



per cent humidity. Under these conditions there is usually an 

 improvement of the fine flavor and the tenderness and palatabihty 

 of the flesh. For this reason the grapefruit season can be appre- 

 ciably lengthened by holding the ripe fruits under storage condi- 

 tions. Another factor of importance in this connection is that 

 consumers can keep the fruits without appreciable deterioration in 

 quality for considerable periods of time. 



SEEDY STRAINS. 



Two seedy strains have been found which are alike in most char- 

 acteristics of tree and fruit, but which differ greatly in texture of 

 rind and shape of the fruits. 



The trees of the seedy strains, an illustration of which is shown 

 in Plate III, bear relatively very small crops and usually have a 

 very marked alternate-season habit of bearing. The trees have a 

 peculiar and characteristic drooping habit of growth, giving them 

 a dwarfed appearance, which renders their determination an easy 

 matter when once this condition is known. The leaves are rather 

 sparse, small to medium in size, light green in color, and are usually 

 narrow and very sharply pointed. 



All of the heavily seeded fruits are objectionable, and their presence 

 in the regular crop tends to depreciate its value as a whole in the 

 markets, in many cases lowering the price received about $1 per box. 

 In addition to this direct cause of loss to the growers, the presence 

 of fruits of the seedy strains impairs the reputation of the entire 

 Marsh variety. 



Table II. — Performance record of Marsh grapefruit tree No. 1-15-29, Rough Seedy 

 strain, ^ showing the weight and number of fruits of each size and grade and number of 

 seeds counted in detail for the season of 1912 and summarized for the 6-year -period, 1910 

 to 1915, inclusive. 



[The sumniarized 6-year record illustrates the method of assembling the data of successive seasons for 

 careful comparison and study. The weights are given in pounds and ounces, except that the 6-year 

 totals and the averages are expressed decimally in pounds. This tree is listed in rank 25 of Table III.] 



Detailed Recoed for the Season of 1912. 





Fruits. 



Seeds. 2 



Sizes of fruits. 



Ivory-White 

 grade. 



Standard grade. 



Cull grade. 



Total. 



Ivory- 

 White 

 grade. 



Stand- 

 ard 

 grade. 





Weight. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Weight. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Weight. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Weight. 



Num- 

 ber. 



112 and smaller 



Lbs. oz. 

 0-11 

 0- 

 0- 



3-14 



1-14 

 3- 2 



12- 



1 

 

 



4 



2 

 3 



10 



Lbs. oz. 

 0-11 

 3- 4 

 9-11 



7-10 



6-15 

 16- 9 



88-11 



1 

 4 

 11 



8 



7 

 15 



63 



Lbs. oz. 





Lbs. oz. 

 1- 6 

 3- 4 

 9-11 



11- 8 



8-13 

 19-11 



100-11 



2 



4 

 11 



12 



9 

 18 



73 



53 



30 



96 









80 











64 







66 



; 36 



i 63 



48 







32 









24 and larger 











63 



/ 55 

 \ 45 









Total 



21- 9 



20 



133- 7 



109 







155- 

 158- 5 



129 

 133 



182 



229 



Grand total . . . 



3-5 



4 



411 

















I Notes. — Date: May 11, 1912. Poor shape; thiclc-skinned fruits. " Seeds of cull fruits not counted. 



