GRAPE FRUIT. 



{^Citrus decumana.) 



The Grape Fruit is a species of the 

 genus Citrus, which also includes the 

 orange, lemon, lime and citron. Ac- 

 counts vary regarding its origin, but it 

 is generally supposed to be a native of 

 the islands on the southern coast of Asia. 

 According to some records, the seeds 

 were carried by the Arabs into Syria 

 and the countries of the Levant, and 

 from thence were introduced into Europe 

 by the Crusaders. It is also said to be 

 a native of China and Japan and derives 

 its name Shaddock, from Dr. Shaddock 

 who carried it from these countries to 

 the West Indies. 



The Grape Fruit is really a monstrous 

 orange. The fruit is from four to eight 

 inches in diameter and while in China 

 and Japan its sweet taste has given it 

 the name of Sweet Ball, as a rule the 

 pulp and juice are sub-acid or bitter, but 

 withal, quite refreshing. 



The Grape Fruit like all forms of extra 

 development, is more showy than useful. 

 It flourishes in tropical and in sub-trop- 

 ical countries which are not liable to 

 frost, being far more sensitive to cold 

 than is the orange. Florida seems pecu- 

 liarly well adapted to the cultivation of 

 this fruit as well as the varieties used 

 for ornamental purposes only. The tree 

 is a beautiful evergreen with dark shin- 

 ing leaves, against which the clusters of 

 greenish-yellow fruit, which are found 

 on the tree in various stages of develop- 

 ment at all seasons of the year, produce 

 a most pleasing and ornamental effect. 



The Grape Fruit trees attain a height 



of from fifteen to twenty-five feet. The 

 heads of the trees are spreading and the 

 branches armed with prickles. The 

 leaves are somewhat downy underneath 

 and the winged petiols are nearly as 

 broad as the leaves. The white flowers 

 have five petals and five sepals and the 

 fruit, which is a berry, may attain a 

 weight of fourteen pounds. 



Several names have been given to the 

 fruit. The term Shaddock, has been ex- 

 plained and in recent years is chiefly 

 applied to the pear-shaped forms, used 

 only for ornamental purposes. The 

 French call it the Pampelmous and the 

 Italians, the Arancio. For some reason, 

 the long-suffering name of Forbidden 

 Fruit has been bestowed upon it. The 

 term Grape Fruit, however, is derived 

 from the fact that the fruit grows in 

 clusters of from three to fifteen, thereby 

 suggesting clusters of grapes. One 

 variety of the Grape Fruit is peculiar in 

 having a red pulp ; another known as the 

 Hog Shaddock is probably a hybrid be- 

 tween the Shaddock and the citron or 

 lemon. The fruit of the Hog Shaddock 

 is watery and exceedingly unpalatable. 



The trees of the Grape Fruit are not 

 as liable to disease as are the orange 

 trees. Insects and scales do not attack 

 them to any material extent and this 

 immunity, together with the advantage 

 of being able to raise the trees from 

 seeds, has tended to the development of 

 many varieties, some of which are of 

 great commercial value. 



Charles S. Raddin. 



