BUD VARIATION IN THE VALENCIA ORANGE. 7 
The principal plats of Valencia oranges finally selected for indi- 
vidual-tree performance-record work are located in a citrus orchard 
of approximately 750 acres about equally divided between Valencia 
oranges, Washington Navel oranges, and Eureka lemons. A study 
of all the Valencia trees on this ranch was made before the plats of 
trees for detailed observation were finally selected. This selection 
was made with the idea of securing a representative lot of trees 
which would include typical trees of some of the most important 
strains of the variety. Trees to the number of 115 which had been 
planted in the fall of 1903 were selected. Actual performance- 
record work was begun in 1912. Complete annual records secured 
from 105 of these trees for four successive years are available for 
study. Later in 1912 a plat of 9 trees of the Valencia strain was 
selected in another Valencia orchard several miles distant, where 
soil conditions are markedly different. In 1914 an additional plat 
of 55 trees was chosen in the same orchard where the first plat was 
located, mainly for the purpose of studying the individual-tree 
behavior of the Valencia or best strain of the Valencia variety. In 
this publication the discussion of results will be confined to those 
secured from the records obtained from the plat first selected. 
METHODS OF KEEPING PERFORMANCE RECORDS. 
In securing the individual-tree performance records for investi- 
gational purposes 1 each tree is given a number, and the trees in the 
plats are marked annually with cloth streamers to prevent their 
being picked accidentally by the regular picking crew of the ranch. 
Each tree is picked separately, and all notes concerning the quantity 
and quality of fruit borne by that tree are recorded before the picking 
of the next tree is begun. 
The fruits are assorted into three grades: (1) An Orchard grade, 
including all of the valuable first-class commercial fruits ; (2) a Stand- 
ard grade, including marked, misshapen, unevenly colored, or other 
blemished fruits which are distinctly of a second class in commercial 
quality, but still worthy of marketing; and (3) a Cull grade, con- 
sisting of fruits of such inferior quality as to be wholly unfit for the 
market. By means of a small mechanical sizer, similar to those in 
actual use in orange-packing houses, the fruits in the Orchard and 
Standard grades are sized into the commercial sizes varying from 
288 to 80. The fruits of each size in each grade are counted and 
weighed and the notes recorded on forms arranged especially for this 
1 For a complete description of the methods followed in securing the investigational performance records 
see the following publication: Shamel, A. D., Scott, L. B., and Pomeroy, C. S. Citrus-fruit improvement: 
A study of bud variation in the Washington Navel orange. U.S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 623, 146 p., 16 fig., 19 pi. 
1918. 
Directions for securing performance records as a part of commercial orchard picking operations are pre- 
sented in the following publication: Shamel, A. D. Citrus-fruit improvement: How to secure and use 
tree-performance records. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 794, 16 p., 4 fig. 1917. 
