W 



t 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1255 



Washington, D. C. V July 17, 1924 



INHERITANCE OF COMPOSITION IN FRUIT THROUGH VEGETATIVE 



PROPAGATION. 



BUD VARIANTS OF EUREKA AND LISBON LEMONS. 



By E. M. Chace, Chemist in Charge, C. G. Church, Assistant Chemist, and F. E. 

 Denny, Associate Chemist, Laboratory of Fruit and Vegetable Chemistry. 1 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION 



By A. D. Shamel, Bureau of Plant Industry. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



The problem 2 



Experimental procedure: 



Sampling 3 



Significance of determinations made 3 



Methods of analysis 4 



Results 5 



Discussion of results: 



Variability in citrus fruits. 14 



Differences in composition of fruit from 

 the same tree and from trees of the 



same strain 14 



Differences in composition of fruit from 



trees of different strains 15 



Summary 18 



Literature cited 18 



INTRODUCTION. 



A study of the physical characteristics of striking bud variations 

 of the important commercial citrus varieties was begun in 1909 in 

 southern California, to determine the extent and frequency of the 

 occurrence of these bud variations and their relation to commercial 

 orcharding. While some variations in trees and fruits have been 

 found to be due to varying environmental conditions, others have 

 proved to be inherent. These inherent variations were studied in 

 progeny rows in experimental orchards in several places in southern 

 California. From the data on the behavior of these progenies, a 

 distinction between the fluctuating and the inherent variations has 

 been established beyond any question of doubt (5, 6) ? 



In the course of the study of the physical characteristics of the 

 bud variations, and of the trees and fruits arising from them, as 

 found in established citrus groves in southern California, it was sug- 

 gested that a knowledge oi the chemical composition of the fruits 



i C. P. Wilson. C. O. Young, and R. H. Kellner, of the Laboratory of Fruit and Vegetable Chemistry, 

 collaborated in the analytical work. The authors also wish to express their gratitude to Dr. G. F. Mc- 

 Ewen, of the Sc.-ipps Institution for Biological Research, for his ad'vice and cooperation. 



2 Italic figures in parentheses throughout this bulletin refer to Literature cited, page 18. 



89252°— 24t 1 



