Citrus Varieties 
F. M. O’Byrne, State Nursery Inspector, Gainesville 
At the joint meeting of the American 
Pomological Society and the Florida State 
Horticultural Society, held in Ocala Feb¬ 
ruary 20, 1889, four of the largest citrus 
exhibitors had on display from thirty to 
fifty varieties of oranges alone. From 
this high water mark the pendulum swung 
in the other direction until 1915, when the 
number of varieties of round oranges 
planted commercially was practically re¬ 
duced to four, the Parson Brown, Homo- 
sassa, Pineapple and Valencia. But two 
varieties of kid glove orange were exten¬ 
sively planted, the Dancy tangerine and 
the King, while probably ninety per cent 
of the grapefruit plantings consisted of 
Marsh seedless and Duncan. 
The pendulum is now swinging back 
again. We have on the market or in pros¬ 
pect in the near future the following four¬ 
teen varieties of oranges and one new 
variety of grapefruit. 
THE TEMPLE ORANGE 
The tree from which the Temple orange 
has been propagated stands in the grove 
of L. A. Hakes at Winter Park. The 
fruit, foliage and habit of growth all lend 
color to the theory that it is a cross be¬ 
tween a kid glove and a round orange. 
The average size is about 150. The color, 
when fully matured, is deep orange red. 
The rind is thin, smooth and satiny. Its 
season is from the middle of January to 
the first of April, though some fruit has 
been held on the tree till May without det¬ 
riment, as members attending the Orlando 
meeting will recall. The parent tree is 
said to be very prolific and the reproduc¬ 
tions have been distinguished by their 
tendency to early bearing. As to its abil¬ 
ity to withstand extremes of drought and 
cold, I have no information, though have 
heard it said that the parent trees went 
through the 1917 freeze exceptionally well. 
The American Pomological Society last 
year awarded the Wilder medal to the 
Temple orange. 
The advantages claimed for the Temple 
are its splendid color, smooth satiny rind, 
easy peeling quality and splendid flavor. 
It will sell the first time, it is claimed, on 
its appearance and afterward primarily on 
its flavor. A pretty Temple is as far 
ahead of the average California orange in 
appearance as the average California or¬ 
ange is ahead of the average Florida or¬ 
ange. Coming in at the end of the tan¬ 
gerine season, the Temple can be sold 
either as a tangerine or a round orange. 
The oldest reproduction of which I have 
personal knowledge is at Winter Park on 
sour orange stock and is nine years old. 
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