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| UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ACR ve 
POME Oe 
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1159 
Washington, D. C. v August 22, 1923 
COLORING SATSUMA ORANGES IN ALABAMA.’ 
By R. C. Wricut, Physiologist, Office of Horticultural and Pomological Inves- 
tigations, Bureau of Plant Industry. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
MRIS ITCIAOT =: se i, |) Lhescotoring- plant —: 2s. se kee ae 13 
Maturation of Satsuma oranges in Construction of an inexpensive 
oa) SDC Se a ee 2 colorim2.— planti2. === 2s. 13 
Experimental work in coloring Sat- Equipment of a coloring plant_ 15 
Psumia oranges —. = a 5 Management and operation of a 
Hyxperiments in 1919 ________- 5 coloring (plant 222225222 iat 
¥ maperuments) in: 1920°. -- = _-___ 9 SUMMA 252 oe te a eee ae 
Bxperiments, in) 1921-7 11 
iy 
% INTRODUCTION. 
It is well known that citrus fruit grown under certain climatic 
and cultural conditions may be mature and highly desirable for 
_ food while the skin of the fruit is still green in color. This is espe- 
cially true of the Satsuma’ orange as grown in Alabama, where the 
yt fruit frequently reaches a stage of physiological maturity ‘at which it 
1s palatable and attractive as an article of diet some weeks before it 
attains the characteristic golden yellow color. In general, when it 
reaches full color on the trees the fruit in this region is characterized 
by a low acidity, with a comparatively high sugar content, and the 
_ overripe fruit is inclined to be insipid in flavor. It is important, 
_ then, if this fruit is to be furnished the consuming public in its 
' most desirable condition for food, that it be harvested before it 
becomes yellow on the trees. 
Danger of frost in this region after November 15 and the fact 
that the best market for this orange is in the early fall after the 
main portion of the California Valencia crop has been harvested and 
before the early oranges from Florida are mature enough to ship 
_ are further reasons for marketing this fruit early. On the other 
hand, green-colored fruit, no matter what the quality, is difficult to 
~ 
ia 1The writer’s thanks are due Dr. O. F. E. Winberg, president of the Gulf-Coast Citrus 
_ Exchange, for much constructive advice and many courtesies. 
2Satsuma oranges belong to the same group of mandarin or ‘ kid-glove’’ oranges as 
the tangerine. Only two varieties of the Satsuma orange are commonly grown in this 
country, viz, the Ikeda and the Owari. 
1 
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