NEW ORANGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 12

NEW ORANGE

NAVEL VARIETY DISCOVERY AT AVONDALE HIGH POTENTIAL VALUE What is claimed to be a new variety of sweet navel orange has been evolved in an Avonclalc citrus, fruit farm and nursery owned by Mr. Hayward Wright,' a recognised authority w h 0 for many years has been collecting and propagating strains of citrus fruits from many parts of the world and who long since has proved that sweet oranges suitable to this climate ( 'and certain soils can be successfully . grown. The new variety of navel orange is a "sport," and it is remarkable f or its fine and thin skin, the closeness of the grain of the fruit, its juiciness and sweetness. It was considered by several experts who inspected it yesterday that an orange of such a character and flavour will eventually have a high commercial value. It was pointed out that with navel oranges of this and similar type there should be little need in time to come for importations in their fruiting season. Hundreds of Varieties Grown Hundreds of varieties of citrus fruits are now grown by Mr. Wright, but of particular interest among the oranges are those of the navel type. The principal sweet navel orange grown in California, for commercial purposes is tho Washington. From this strain have been evolved theHavelencia, the Thornson navel, goldejt nugget, golden buckeye, Carter's navel and Robinson's navel. Robinson's navel is the latest evolved in America and the most recently imported by Mr. Wright. So far it has not fruited. Carter's was the navel imported by Mr. Wright prior to .Robinson's, and it is now fruiting. It is from Carter's navel that the new "sport" has been derived. Like the new variety, Carter's is a particularly luscious fruit of high potential commercial value. The "sport" now fruiting is growing from a Carter's navel tree, the char, acter of the leaves and the smoother ■ skin and shape of the fruit,of the new variety being much different from the parent stock. The fruit of the new variety is flattish at the ends, but has much the same close grain and delicious flavour that distinguishes navel. A Favoured Root Stock With Mr. Wright, a root stock favoured in much of the grafting is the Japanese decidious citrus variety, trifoliata. It is an inherent principle that the more removed is relationship of the root stock to the top scion, the quicker the bearing and perhaps the productivity. As a root stock, trifoliata should suit the new variety from the aspect of remote relationship, while as the stock is decidious, it imparts greater frost resistant qualities to the complete tree. However, the best form of root stock to suit the new varietv will be decided "by experiment. Some of the citrus fruit trees in Mr. Wright's orchard have remarkably heavv crops. Many unusual varieties are' present. The'Meyer lemon for example, a Chinese spfceies '*rtft*"greas * frost resistance and a heavy cropper, was quoted for its commercial value: A sport of a Sicily lemon had reddish bronze foliage. A' Bengal citron had huge fruit, one being about 24 inches round. Among the grape fruits is a new variety from Australia of which much is expected.