The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-02-19
The Citrus Family at the Los An
geles Fair.-NO. Ill.


I promised to describe some of the
exhibits of the citrus family at the
late Los Angeles horticultural Fair.
Thomas A. Gary, President of the Co
operative Nursery ard Fruit Com
pany, had mound of earth prepared
on an elliptical base on the floor of
the pavilion, to which he transplanted
citrus trees enough to form minia-
ture grove, Some of the trees were
bearing oranges.
THE BOUQUET ORANGE.
The boquet variety was represented
in a large tree presenting all the
phases of bloom-bud, fully expanded
blossom, green oranges OF all sizes,
and the fully ripe orange. The bou-
quet orange, it should be noted, Is
more ornamental than useful. Other
varieties go about blooming in GER
tain season, finish that part of the pro-
cess, and then go about the next, and
then the next, and so on to the final
one of turning the green globes to
globes of golden hue, each depart
ment in this process being promptly
finished up before the next is fairly
begun. These varieties are the valu-
able ones as fruit producers. The
bouquet variety presents orange
blossoms at all seasons, which
fact expands to greater impor-
lance by reason of the intrinsic merits
of the orange blossoms merely as a
blossom. Apropos in this connection
is tie statement made by Du Tour !:
"The scent Of the orange flowers"
says this brilliant author, " is regard
ed as standard of perfection in Its
kind. 1t has not, like that of many
flowers, deceitful sweetness, which
pleases only to injure. 1t is not faint
like the scent of the jasmine OF migno-
nette it does not effect the head like
narcissus OF tuberose; it does not
weaken thenerves, butrather strength
ems them. tbs salutary odor, which
refreshes the senses and enlivens the
brain. In fine, it has no rival and is as
salutary as delicious" EsSe,ati0 nerO6,
is an extract of orange blossoms. They
are available in the choicest perfumes.
Much OF all said Of orange blossoms
applies to those of the lime and other
species of the citrus genus.
OTHER VARIETIES OF CITRUS.
Mr.. Gary also exhibited citron,
grape fruit and shaddock trees. No
fruit OF either Of these varieties was
exhibited. While California soil does
the marvellous as to the size of pro-
ducts, it seems that no citrus fruit
has been raised here as large as the
shaddock of the West Indies. whittier
it was taken by Capt. Shaddock.
There it sometimes attalns the size OF
the human head, barring, perhaps, the
Websterian standard. Hence: "MdSuS
a,~antia .ti4tctst copatt hunadnetna."
The shaddock, the grape fruit and
the so called forbidden fruit are all
comprehended within one and the
same branch Of the citrus tamily-the
Citrus decumoJa0 Of the bOtanists.
Mr.. Gary also exhibited the Mikaw
orange tree, recent importation di-
rect from the palace grounds OF the
Mikado OF Japan. Prominent in this
superb exhibit were Gary's Mediter-
ranean Sweet orange and Gray's
Eureka lemon, from u stock raised
by c. r. Workman OF Los Angeles.
The Eureka lemon is thornless, seed
less, and has II sweet rind. The
sweet rnd lemon has rind of neutral
taste, neither sweet nor bitter.
A dwarf tree 80 inches high and
one inch in diameter bent under the
weight of 16 oranges In Mr. Gary'S
collection were bearing chestnut
trees. One tree one inch III diameter
was top heavy with six nut treighted
burrs.
ANOTHER EXHIBIT.
The citrus grove Of Fisher, Rich
ardcon & Co., of Los Angeles, was Il
striking group Of fresh and richly
green orange, lemon and lime trees,
some in bearing. A thornless sweet
rind lemon tree, while on exhibition,
ripened its first lemon, which being
cut, gave a strong, sparkling acid,
without trace Of bitterness in
the peel 1t is asserted that the
early Winter crop of the seedless
lemon is literally seedless, while the
Spring and Summer crops have seeds,
but fewer than other varieties. In
this indoor grove was the Sicily sweet
rind lemon.
1t is now quite common to graft