84 



1917 ANNUAL REPORT 



record of the parent tree indicates a continuous bearer without off-years* 

 The record is, first year a few, then 25, 50, 250, 500. 



In the Lyon we have a fine fruit and the tree, the most precocious 

 known, blossoming and setting fruit so abundantly from the first year 

 that it tends to dwarf and enfeeble the tree unless it be carefully and 

 rigidly thinned. 



The Spinks tree is remarkably hardy and vigorous. It does not 

 sunburn as do many varieties. Observation of many kinds show it and 

 the Fuerte to be among the most rapid growers of any of the thick-skin 

 type. The year's growth of some Spinks buds placed in old stock sur- 

 passes anything of the kind known. The fruit has been too large but has 

 redeemed itself this year by coming down to an average of a pound or 

 over. The color when mature a purplish black, and the form obovate to 

 pyriform. The fruit is handsome and has a long period of maturity. 



The Taft and Dickinson are two main season fruits that are less 

 hardy than some others, yet do well in many groves and with a little 

 protection the first year or two, should do well wherever lemons will. 

 Their fruit is so superior as to make them worthy of this care. The Taft 

 is longer in beginning to bear than most varieties. The Dickinson is re- 

 ceiving more attention this year than ever before, displaying many good 

 qualities. 



A fruit we all admire for its size, color, high quality, beauty, and 

 very small seed, is the Sharpless, and more than ever now since it has 

 been found to have been picked and marketed too early in the main season 

 and has been found to be really a fall and winter fruit. Its crop this year 

 was 700; its shipping to market began in October and continued until 

 March 1 5th, some fruit staying on the tree to the end of April, and one 

 remained to be picked to exhibit at this meeting. The heaviest shipments 

 were in October, November and December, after that the ripening was 

 slower. Mr. Sharpless states that half the fruit would have been better 

 had it been left on the tree one or two months longer and that there is no 

 question about its being a winter-ripening fruit. Other years the fruit was 

 simply picked immature. The analysis shows this. The chemist stated 

 that the specimens sent in August and September were not ripe, while a 

 fruit sent January 1 5th analyzed 20.54 per cent oil and specimens an- 

 alyzed on April 4th showed 24.23 per cent of oil. This is a real brittle- 

 skin or hard-shell fruit, the skin making an excellent protection in shipping 

 and an ideal cup from which to eat it with a spoon. The fruit weighs 

 from a pound to a pound and a half, averaging 20 ounces. 



The budded trees on Mr. Sharpless' place are strong growing and 

 he states have never had a trace of die-back or sickly appearance. The 

 blossoming time is April and May and the fruit begins to mature in 

 October of the following year, similar to the Valencia orange, making 

 the fruits from sixteen to twenty-two months at picking. 



The other two winter bearing kinds are the Puebla and Fuerte. 

 7 hey are both hardy and satisfactory as trees in every way. 



A Puebla tree, which was under my observation, at two years from 

 the nursery set 1 5 fruits, which were of a very handsome appearance at 

 maturity by reason of their smooth, glossy skin of a purple color. The 

 first one was picked December 1 7th, and the last January 28th and could 

 only have been held a day or two longer. The analysis shows 25 to 26 



