The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-01
Still More About the oonshiu Orange


lished in your issue of March Is, there is
being misleading writes G. L. Taber in
Farm and Ranch. 1t is the paragraph
where he compares the "Oonshiu'
with the ''so-called Satsuma" is such a
way as to convey the impression that they
are two distinct varieties. In reality the
Oonshiu and Satsuma are identiCally the
same fruit under two different names, as
is well established and recognized by the
best authorities in this country some of
whom have planted and fruited this
variety under the two different names,
with the result that Mr.. Amoore or any
one else could not tell either by eating the
fruit or examining the trees, whether
they We're propagated from the Sat
suma," as originally introduced, or the
same variety more lately introduced under
the name of 'Oonshiu" The first trees
of the Satsuma that were planted in
Florida We're brought from the island of
Kiusiu, Japan, in 1874, and were named
"Satsuma" after one of the chief cities of
that island, at the request of Mrs. Gen.
Van Valkenburg
In her Florida Fruits and How to Raise
Them" Helen Harcourt says: During
the cold winter of 1880 the cold wave of
Dec 25, which injured so many trees in
the northern and central portions of Flo
rida, the Satsuma stood unframed. On
Fort George Island, where the Satsuma
was first planted on Florida soil, lemons,
lines and shaddocks suffered in fruit and
limb; sweet oranges lost their leaves. and
young, tender growth, while the Sat
sumas, close by their side, did not suffer
in the least, either in fruit, leaf or branch,
the leaf not even turning yellow; and in
January, 1881, the same experience was
repeated
Since the above named work was pub
Hshed, the big freeze of 1886. and SUISSE
qUent minor freezes, have still further
demonstrated the superior capacity of the
SatSuma Tor Oonshiu, if you please) in
withstanding severe cold, and the variety
is certainly a valuable one. Mr. Amoore
says he has eaten oranges from nearly all
parts of the world and considers the Don
shiu of Japan far ahead of the "sO-called
Satsuma" of Florida, and to support his
statement quotes the figures at which
these japanese OOnshiUs sold in San Fran
cisco. An examination of my account
sales shows that all of my Satsumas have
averaged me higher price at auction in
in Boston than the prices Mr.. Amoore
gives as having been obtained for the (su-
perior, he says Japanese Oonshiu in San
Francisco; but, leaving out my sales alto
gether, let me quote the price received by
J.H. Fessenden of Tampa, Fla. Nh. Fessen-
den is a well-known business man and hor-
tiCultuist, whose word no one who knows
him would question for a moment, and it
was only few weeks ago that he told me
his crop of Satsumas for the season of
1891 brought him 50 per box. AS near as
l can figure it, this would be about three
times the price that Mr.. Amoore quotes
for the japanese Oonshlu in San Fran
cisco.
American nursery-nnen oenera1I,, "a Ia
logue the Satsuma with synonyms given
as ''Oonshiu, Unshiu and Xii Seedless."
In my opinion any fruit should have it's
prominent synonyms given in connection
with the name under which said variety
is sold, so as to prevent disappointment
and loss on the part of those who buy the
same variety under o different name, ex-
pecting to get a ditfefent fruit.
Without extending this article beyond
its proper limits, and without in any way
deprecating the importation of new varie-
ties, or of older varieties where the home
supply is limited, | would suggest that
the planter will generally be better sat it's
fed and obtain better results by using
home grown stock thth by depending on
that grown in Japan. The distance is
great, delays are frequent, and loss from
delays in transit, and other causes by no
means uncommon, as some of US know to
our sorrow. The results obtained from
home grown stock planted alongside of the
imported Japanese, are largely in favor
of the home grown, as many readers of
Texas Farm and Ranch can testify. The
Japan persimmons, Japan chestnuts, Sat
suma (or Oonshiu) orange, Citrus Trifoli-
alta, Japan pear stocks, etc, are now
grown in large quantities in this country
and in the case of some of them at least
there is now as little necessity for order
inc Y1aOo from lanan there 0f the
''Japs' ordering the same varieties
from ZIG