The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29

OF No I'm 10 the Pheapple-Name Due 10
aGlFip Fan0y.

NAA H@0H
The fancy frultsrers Of the city are dis
playing In their show windows what they
call pineapple oranges. These oranges
are tioketed at very high prices, which the
fruitererS seem to have no trouble in OBJ
tanning. Many Of the people who buy and
eat them have been BpeOllating ~ 10 what
the pineapple orange really Is. Some Of
them imagine that the pineapple orange is
the fruit Of a treA on which has been grated
a pineapple clip.
II lie true that the pineapple orange has a
peculiar havor, but Il would take a world Of
imagination TO discern q pineapple taste IN
II. The true story Of the pineapple orange
IL told by j. L. P. Bishop.
1T was In 1873 said Mr.. BAhop. shat
the late P. r. Bishop, the pioneer Of modern
orange culture in Florida, started 20 de-
velop his big grove on Orange Lake at
Citra In connection with II be went all
over the State looking for the budding wood.
q Il Is called in Florida, or grating alps.
as We call them here, 10 graft ON the wild
orange trees that ne found at Ctra, his
theory being--a theory that was afterward
proved in practice-that the combination
Of the sweet orange with the wild orange
would make q product that wa incom-
parable.
During one trip he stopped at the homo
Of Gen. Owens, an old Southern soldier.
who maintained one Of those delightful old
Southern mansions. At dinner and at break
fast In the morning Mr.. Bishop was served
with AZ orange the equal Of which in juice.
favor and m~sciousness he had never found
In any part Of the State.
He made inquiries as 10 the fruit, and
the daughter Of the house, Miss Owens,
said: Why. that fruit comes from my
pineapple orange tree After breakfast
abe took Mr.. Bishop out to zee her pine
apple tree.
1T was a very old orange tree planted at
one corner OF the house just under diss
Owens bedroom window. The limbs had
grown 90 long that they brushed against
the window and disturbed her at night,
and Miss Owens had a colored man trim the
tree down. This he did in a cone shape, go
that TO the girls idea the orange tree
looked something like a pineapple plant.
90 much 40 that she called II her pineapple
orange tree,
Mr.. Bishop paid Miss Owens $500 for that
old tree, took 1t with him 10 Citra, and
budded or grated the entire grove with
its wood or slips. In course Of time he
supplied other groves and other nurseries,
end to-day there Is not a genuine pineapple
orange tree In the whole Of Florida and
there are plenty OF them-thRt does not
owe its existence primarily 10 Miss 0wens's
old tree which took its name from an inn
preston formed on the girls imagination.
In the season Of 1s93-e4, the last full season
for the Marion county fruit before the big
freeze Of February &, 1895, the Bishop grove
at Citra shipped $1,000 boxes Of these pine
apple oranges
Just as there are oranges sold as Indian
Rivers that were never within hundreds
Of miles Of the Indian River section, so
there are thousands OF oranges offered as
pineapple oranges that have not much
moro affinity with the real pineapple orange
than they have with the California navel.
The real pineapple orange has q smooth,
thin, hardy rind which insures its good
keeping qualities. II he's a delicate pulp
and q delicious, inimitable favor, although,
stated before, any resemblance TO the
favor Of pine comes more from the vivid
magma ton Of the man who eats il than
from the orange itself.
The tree is a prolific bearer. 30 that rs a
rule the orange does not exceed the medium
size. IL Is round, of the perfect orange
and when grown on good heavy
orange soil has a characteristic dark red
dish or mahogany color.