BUD VAKIATION IN" THE MARSH GRAPEFRUIT. 13 
They are presented for the purpose of illustrating the most important 
characteristics of the strains and to furnish a basis for understanding 
and interpreting more fully than otherwise would be possible the 
tables and discussions of the behavior and value of the trees of these 
strains. 
I MARSH STRAIN. 
The trees of the Marsh strain, an example of which is shown in 
Plate II, are the most productive and bear larger crops of desirable 
and valuable fruits than any of the other strains of the Marsh variety. 
Some of the trees begin producing profitable crops at about four 
years from planting and yield regularly increasing crops every year. 
The oldest trees of this character under observation were planted 
in 1898. Other trees of this strain have a tendency to produce large 
crops one season, followed by lighter crops the next year. Some 
few trees of this strain are habitually low producers as compared 
with the most productive trees. As a rule, the most productive trees 
bear larger crops of first-grade fruits of the most valuable commer- 
cial sizes, viz, 80, 64, and 48 fruits per box, than are produced by the 
low-yielding trees. The large production of high-grade fruits from 
trees of this strain makes it particularly valuable from the commer- 
cial standpoint. The trees of this strain have a spreading habit of 
growth. The leaves are abundant, large, elliptical, acutely pointed, 
light green in color, and have large winged petioles. The trees nor- 
mally bloom in March, and the fruits ripen during the summer 
months of the following year. 
The fruits of the Marsh strain, a typical example of which is shown 
in Plate V, are oblate in shape, the stem end is usually slightly sunken, 
and the blossom end even and flattened. This shape is best adapted 
for handling, and is also a desirable one from the consumer's stand- 
point. The texture of skin is usually very smooth; color creamy, 
commonly called ivor}^ white; bloom little or none; rind about one- 
quarter of an inch in thickness; color of flesh amber; number of 
sections 12 to 14; rag sparse and tender; vesicles medium in size; 
core usually open, about 1 inch in diameter; juice abundant, mildly 
acid, bursting from the fruit when cut, quality excellent, having 
desirable grapefruit flavor; seeds averaging about three per fruit, 
which condition is termed ••■ commercially seedless." 
Table I shows the detailed performance record of a representative 
tree of the Marsh strain for the year 1912 and also the summarized 
record of the same tree for the 6-year period from 1910 to 1915, 
inclusive. The record of seed content in Table I shows the small num- 
ber of seeds found in fruits of this strain, several of those examined 
being entirely seedless. 
The superior quality of the fruits of this strain is very marked. 
It apparently improves in storage under proper conditions, which 
are an even temperature of about 45° to 50° F. and about 80 to 90 
