CITRUS CULTURE IN HAWAII 



19 



Different types of picking ladders are used, but the kind hav- 

 ing a third leg on hinges, which may be let down through the 

 branches to rest on the ground, is considered the best (fig. 2, B, 

 i). Care should be taken to avoid breaking young branches in 

 moving the ladder about. The picked fruit should be carefully 

 spread upon a sorting table in the packing shed. Fruit with 

 abrasions or bruises should be culled. The sound fruit should 

 be packed in small boxes for the market. The boxes should be 

 of standard make and of such size as can be easily handled. In 

 such containers the fruit will not be damaged by its own weight. 

 Fruit that is to remain for several days in the boxes should be 

 kept in a dry place having a free circulation of air. Citrus fruit, 

 particularly oranges, may be artificially colored by some of the 

 several gassing processes described by Barger and Hawkins (5). 

 Their method of heightening the color of the fruit has not proved 

 to be of sufficient importance for practice in Hawaii. 



VARIETIES OF ORANGES 

 Hawaiian 



The Hawaiian variety of orange has been in cultivation since 

 its introduction by Captain Vancouver (28, v. 1, p. 158) in 1792. 

 It grows better in some localities than in others and has been 

 known on West Hawaii as the "Kona" orange, on the island of 

 Oahu as the "Waialua" orange, and on the island of Kauai as 

 the "Waimea" orange. Within recent years the name "Ha- 

 waiian" orange has come into general use (fig. 3). It has been 

 propagated mainly from seed, and a natural selection has taken 

 place. It is now propagated vegetatively from selected trees. 

 Seedless fruits occasionally are observed, and fruits with a navel 

 form of stigmatic portion are not uncommon. In most localities 

 the season of maturity ranges from October to December. Like 

 some other kinds of citrus trees, the Hawaiian orange is suitable 

 to tub culture for ornamental purposes (fig. 3, B). 



The tree is a tropical, broad-leaved evergreen with a roundish to upright top 20 to 30 

 feet high ; the bark is grayish and thin ; the young growth is more or less thorny ; the 

 foliage is dense, deep green ; the leaves are of medium size ; the blades are oval-oblong, 

 roundish at base and pointed at apex ; the margins are entire or slightly irregular ; and the 

 leafstalk is narrowly winged. 



Fruit — Form, spherical, diameter, 3 to S 1 /^ inches ; color, yellow to light orange ; skin, 

 thin and leathery with pebbled surface ; flesh, dark yellow, juicy, subacid to very sweet and 

 of mild flavor. The seeds, none to about 15. 



Valencia 



Several introductions of Valencia oranges have been made 

 from California nurseries by private growers. From an intro- 

 duction made by the station in 1906 five budded trees were set 

 in the citrus orchard in 1909. The variety originated in the 

 Azores, and reached America from an English nursery in 1870 

 (7, p. 70). Under favorable culture in California it has developed 

 certain desirable characteristics as prolificacy, good keeping 

 qualities, and lateness in maturing, becoming ripe when the navel 

 varieties are out of season. In Hawaii the Valencia is in season 

 from December to February, but has not as yet attracted much 

 favorable attention. 



The tree is of medium size, vigorous, and prolific ; the thorns are few and small ; the 



