PNIYEBSITY OF CALIFOBMIA rgBLICATIOMS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA THE LOQUAT BY IRA J. GONDII BULLETIN No. 250 Berkeley, CaT., March, 1915 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY 1915 Bex.iamix IDE Wheeler, President of the University. EXPERIMENT STATION STAFF HEADS OF DIVISIONS Thomas Forsyth Hunt, Director. Eugene W. Hilgard, Agricultural Chemistry (Emeritus). Edward J. Wicksox, Horticulture. Herbert J. Webber, Director Citrus Experiment Station; Plant Breeding. Hubert E. Vax Normax, Vice Director; Dairy Management. William A. Setchell, Botany. Myer E. Jaffa, Nutrition. Robert H. Loughridge, Soil Chemistry and Physics (Emeritus). Charles W. Woodworth, Entomology. Ralph E. Smith, Plant Pathology. J. Eliot Coit, Citriculture. Johx W. Gilmore, Agronomy. Charles F. Shaw, Soil Technology. Jonx W. Gregg, Landscape Gardening and Floriculture. Frederic T. Bioletti, Viticulture and Enology. Warrex T. Clarke, Agricultural Extension. Johx S. Burd, Agricultural Chemistry. Charles B. Lipmax, Soil Chemistry and Bacterioloay. Clarexce M. Harixg, Veterinary Science and Bacteriology. Ernest B. Babcock, Genetics. Gordox H. True, Animal Husbandry. Arxold V. Stubexrauch, Pomology-. Fritz W. Woll, Animal Nutrition. James T. Barrett, Plant Pathology. Walter Mulford, Forestry. Walter P. Kelly, Agricultural Chemistry. William G. Hummel, Agricultural Education. Leox M. Davis, Dairy Industry. Johx E. Dougherty, Poultry Husbandry. Frank Adams, Irrigation Practice. David N. Morgan, Assistant to the Director. Mrs. D. L. Bunnell, Librarian. DIVISION OF CITRICULTURE J. Eliot Coit Ira J. Coxdit THE LOQUAT* By I. J. CONDIT SUMMARY Loquat trees have long been grown in California for fruit and ornament, principally in private grounds and public parks. These trees, being seedlings, usually produced inferior fruit. During the last few years improved varieties have been developed here and intro- duced from other countries. This has stimulated interest and now many commercial orchards are found in the southern part of the state. Loquats do well wherever the production of lemons is successful. They blossom and set fruit from October to February and, while the blossoms are fairly resistant to cold, the developing fruit is liable to be injured by temperatures much below 30° F. The loquat tree is not particular as to soil requirements. Although poor soils and a scanty supply of water will produce an abundant crop, and the individual fruits may be of good flavor and quality, they are almost invariably small. Since size is an important factor in a commercial fruit, the fertilization and irrigation of the soil will have to be regulated so as to produce fruit equal to the market demand. The loquat tree is very prolific and liable to overbear. A common practice in some sections is to crowd the trees into rows twenty- four feet apart, with the trees twelve feet apart in the row. This helps to dwarf the tree and to produce more uniform and regular crops. Some of the best varieties have been developed in California. The best variety for an early market is the Early Red, which often ripens in February. The best mid-season varieties are the Champagne, Thales, Advance, and Victor. * Material for this bulletin has been collected during the past two years by visits to nurseries, orchards, and markets, by studies of the tree and of fruits collected from different sources, and by extensive research into literature. It has been prepared in response to the increasing interest in loquat culture and to the many inquiries about the fruit received from time to time from nearly all sections of the state. The writer wishes to express his appreciation to all who have furnished information or specimens for study or who have in any way contributed facts concerning the loquat and its culture. He is especially indebted to Mr. C. P. Taft of Orange for much practical information regarding culture and varieties, to Mr. W. L. Thales of Placentia for many helpful points regarding the Thales variety and its importance, and to Mr. K. A. Kyerson of Altadena for suggestions and citations to literature. [251] 252 UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION More careful methods of grading and packing are advisable. If good markets for the fresh fruit are to be developed and good prices received, the grower should ship only uniform fruit of good size and quality. The poorer grades may be utilized for jelly, jam, and pre- serves. The average price received for the fruit during the past few years has been about 5 cents per pound. Budded trees are usually pre- cocious and begin to bear profitably at the age of four or five years. Trees ten years old should produce 200 pounds of marketable fruit. The loquat tree is remarkably free from serious insect or fungous pests. The pear blight often attacks the flower clusters and twigs in the spring of the year, but is only occasionally fatal to the tree. Birds often destroy quantities of the fruit during the harvesting season. Their depredations may be prevented in small orchards by bagging the clusters of fruit before the color develops. INTRODUCTORY The loquat is, comparatively speaking, a neglected fruit in Cali- fornia. With few exceptions, the trees now growing in this state are seedlings, bearing as a rule small and inferior fruits. Good varieties that are well suited to our climatic and soil conditions have, however, been developed here and introduced from abroad. There are com- mercial orchards in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Diego, and Orange counties. In Orange, where the largest orchards are to be found, enough fruit is produced to warrant co-operation of the growers in marketing. In the northern and central parts of the state there are no commercial loquat orchards, but one or two trees are to be found in almost every good home garden collection of fruits. The lack of good varieties, the occasional failure of the crop on account of frost injury, and the greater interest in better-known fruits are the main reasons for the lack of attention given the loquat by commercial growers in these regions. BOTANY AND NOMENCLATCJEE The loquat belongs to the family Rosaceae, sub-family Pomeae. It is a true pome fruit and is closely related to the apple, pear, quince, ha\^i:horn, and medlar. Our first knowledge of the plant is from Kaempfer, who, according to his ' ' Amoenitates Exoticae," fasc. 5, p. 800, published in 1712, noticed it growing in Japan. Thunberg in his "Flora japonica," p. 206 (1784), gave a more ample description of Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 253 it under the name of Mespilus japonica. In 1822 John Lindley made a revision of the genus Mespilus and placed the loquat in the new genus Eriohotrya, species japonica, the accepted nomenclature at the present time. The generic name Eriohotrya is derived from two Greek words, erion, wool, and hotrys, a cluster, in allusion to the woolly inflorescence. Common Names. — According to the Century Dictionary, the word loquat is derived from the Cantonese dialect, lukwat, -lull, a rush, and kiuh, an orange. The loquat was introduced into this country under the name of ' ' Japan plum. ' ' It was also known as * ' Japanese medlar ' ' in the Gulf States. The first botanical description of the plant placed it in the genus Mespilus, hence the early name ''Japan Mespilus" or "Medlar". At a meeting of the Florida Nurserymen's Association about 1888, it was voted that the word ''loquat" should be used hence- forth, since the term "Japan plum" was liable to be confused with the true plums, varieties of which were then being introduced from Japan. Seeds. — The flower of the loquat is pentamerous and each of the five ovaries contains two ovules. If all of the ovules develop, we should have, therefore, a ten-seeded fruit. Occasionally fruits con- taining six, seven, or even eight seeds are found, but the better varie- ties average only three or four and are superior chiefly in a greater thickness of flesh. An analysis of the Thales loquat shows the weight of seed to be 15 per cent of the total, one of the Champagne 18.2 per cent of the total, while a Japanese analysis*^ gives a percentage of 26.43 of dry matter, 13.72 per cent of which consists of seed. Some seedless or nearly seedless varieties are reported in other countries, but none have proved a commercial success here. A good seedless loquat is like a good seedless apple — a great desirability, but as yet only a future possibility. On account of a bitter principle in the seeds, due to the presence of prussic acid, a few seeds cooked with the fruit in making jelly or sauce will improve the flavor. Occasional references are found to the poisoning of fowls from eating loquat seeds, an accident which is entirely possible if any large quantity of the ground seeds is consumed. Larger animals are not ordinarily affected. GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTTON Meyer states*^ that "the loquat is in all probability indigenous to the hills of the mild-wintered, moist regions of central-eastern China. Specimens were observed growing wild among the scrub in the region 254 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION near Tangsi, Chekiang Province. That section is one of the most noted loquat regions of China, As far as the eye can see, one observ^es nothing but loquat orchards growing luxuriantly on the low, rich land, where the roots never suffer from lack of water. The Chinese consider the loquat a very profitable tree, although apparently it bears a good crop only ever}^ two or three years. Rev. Alexander Kennedy, a missionary in Tangsi, who assisted us a great deal in obtaining various plants, stated that in the spring of 1906 the loquat crop was so great in his vicinity that from the village of Tangsi alone twenty thousand dollars worth of fruit was exported." According to S. W. Williams,^ the loquat grows as far north as Fuhchan, but does not produce such good fruit as in Canton. Robert Fortune, who traveled extensively in China, says that the loquat is cultivated in Hongkong, and that he saw beau- tiful groves of this fruit tree near Hang-chow Foo. The loquat has been cultivated in Japan for more than a thousand years and grows in almost every district except the extreme northeastern part. T. Ikeda says^^ that the loquat ''seems to enjoy mild climates in the prox- imity of large bodies of water. Large loquat groves flourish and fruit abundantly in the littoral districts of south and southeast Japan, only a few districts being noted on the west coast of Wakasa, on the Sea of Japan. At any rate, famous loquat regions always stand by the sea, the plantations often directly facing the breeze, being located on steep hillsides rising directly from the waters. At present the best fruits are produced in localities from 35 degrees N. L. southwards. Among them the groves of Mogi, a fishing village near Nagasaki, and Sakurajima, an island in the Gulf of Kagoshima, produce immense crops, while those of Tamura, in the province of Kii, and Namuya, in the province of AAva, have also been famed for their superior produce. ' ' The United States Daily Consular Report of February 7, 1912, gave the number of loquat 'trees in Japan in 1909 to be 841,974, yielding 15,469,996 pounds of fruit. Lord Bagot,^ writing in 1820, says that the loquat "was brought to Europe by the French in 1784 and planted in the National Garden at Paris. It was first imported into England from Canton and placed in the Royal Gardens at Kew under the auspices of Sir Joseph Banks in 1787, since which time it has been much propagated and is now to be found in every good collection of exotics in the kingdom." Its culture in England is restricted, however, to conservatories and to protected places having a southern exposure. The loquat tree is com- mon in Italy and in Sicily, and in both countries good varieties have been developed. The tree is grown commercially in Australia. The loquat has for many years been a familiar fruit in the gardens of Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 255 Hawaii. In Chile the loquat has been grown from colonial days. According to P. "Wallace.^ the loquat was introduced into the Island of St. Michael about 1823. He writes that the finest fruit he has ever eaten was ''gathered from trees on the side of a hill where the ground consisted of at least two-thirds stones. It will be an admirable plant to introduce into small tropical islands, as it resists the effects of the salt on the very edge of the sea." The loquat is said to be planted rather extensively in Uruguay, as the fruits find there a ready market. Dr. Trabut of Algiers has given considerable attention to the cul- ture and improvement of the loquat and has developed a number of named varieties. He states** that the first attempts to cultivate the loquat for fruit have not elicited much enthusiasm, but that in the last few years great progress has been made in the improvement of varieties and methods of culture. The exact date of the introduction of the loquat into the United States has not been determined. It w^as probably grown in Florida earlier than in California. The United States Patent Office Report for 1850-51 contains a letter from S. W. Williams of Canton, in which he says that the tree is quite hardy in China, but no mention is made regarding the introduction of the plant into this country. J. H. Kellom^^ reported in 1889 that the loquat came directly from Japan to California. At that time it was not known as an orchard tree in the state. In 1887 W. G. Klee^^ stated that "the loquat is planted extensively in the gardens all through California, but has generally been considered as merely ornamental. In no case are we aware of its being planted as an orchard tree." It was reported^^ in 1879 as being well distributed in the gardens of the city of Sacramento, and in 1892 as being commonly grown in Butte County, in the vicinity of Thermalito and Palermo. The loquat tree finds a congenial home in the Gulf States, and large trees are found in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and even as far north as North Carolina, but fruit seldom matures in the latter state. Although in 1887 P. W. Reasoner-^ made reference to a very profitable orchard in Florida, recent information shows that the loquat is not grown commercially in that state at the present time. In Georgia the loquat is used as an ornamental plant, but it rarely matures fruit. CLIMATIC EEQUIREMENTS The loquat is classed as a semi-tropical fruit, its successful culture being confined to regions in which the temperature does not fall below freezing. For ornamental purposes the tree may be grown in climates 256 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION too cold for the development of the fruit. Small trees growing at Raleigh, North Carolina, are not injured by the winter's cold, although the temperature may fall to 8° or 10° F. several nights in succession. G. W. Oliver records^" the fact that young plants have proved hardy during mild winters at Washington, D. C, but when the temperature falls to zero and remains for any length of time the plants are injured permanently. At Phoenix, Arizona, the tree itself thrives remarkably well, as it does also in the Imperial Valley. We do not know of any instance of frost injury to loquat branches or leaves in California, but the flowers and especially the fruit are often seriously damaged. Although the flowers of the loquat tree appear about the time that frost may be most expected, from October to January, the blossoms are seldom injured even by a temperature as low as 27° F. Extensive injury to blossoms has been reported only during the ex- treme cold of 1912-13, although several seasons, including 1895, wit- nessed the freezing of all fruit which had become as large as peas or larger. The fruit is most susceptible to injury when it is just begin- ning to color, and such early varieties as the Early Red are sometimes destroyed when later varieties escape. Frost coming when the fruit is less than half grown may result only in killing the seeds, while the flesh continues to develop, so that seedless fruits mature. On the other hand, frost may have somewhat the same effect as sunburn, injuring the tissues and causing them to shrink or to develop irregu- larly. This winter-blooming and fruit-setting of the loquat presents the most serious difficulty in the way of its commercial production in California. In many favored sections the grower may be reasonably certain of a crop each season, while in other sections frost injury is too common to make the culture of the loquat a profitable venture. The perfection of methods of orchard heating and the further devel- opment of heaters so that they may be more economically used will enable the loquat grower to protect the flowers and fruit on frosty nights. Loquat trees are resistant both to heat and to drought. The thick, leathery leaves are well adapted to withstand seasons of neglect with- out serious injury. Loquat fruits grown in some of the central coast sections of California where fogs and cool days are prevalent often lack the flavor and sweetness which characterize the fruits of the same variet}^ grown farther inland or along the coast farther south. Excessive heat, or hot, dry winds are very detrimental during the period when the fruit is maturing, as it is very liable to sunburn. The branches of loquat trees are not easily broken by high winds unless thev are bending with fruit. In Australia the trees are some- Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT ^ 257 times planted along the borders of fields to serve as a low windbreak. Border fruit trees such as the fig in Fresno County and the pome- granate in Tulare County are often quite profitable. In favorable localities good varieties of the loquat might be planted as border trees and good crops of fruit secured at a season when other fruits are not plentiful. For such planting the trees should be set about twelve feet apart. PROPAGATION Seed. — Propagation of the loquat by seed is simple. The seed germinates readily and the seedlings grow rapidly. Some nurseries in Florida and California are still handling seedling trees, which are of course saisfactory for ornamental purposes. The sale of seedling loquat trees for fruiting purposes is, however, no more justifiable than the sale of seedling peach or apricot trees. Good varieties of the loquat are now available and budded trees alone should be planted. In addition to the probability of bearing poorer fruit, seedling trees are as a rule slower coming into bearing than budded trees. Cuttings. — The loquat may be grown from cuttings, although this method is not recommended for commercial propapagation. The best time of the year to make cuttings is in the fall, when the spring growth has become well hardened and is more or less dormant. Only wood of the present season's growth should be used. Cuttings five or six inches long are placed under glass in the sand of an ordinary cutting bed and treated like hardwood cuttings. Bottom heat will accelerate the rooting, but it is not necessary. Stocks. — The following stocks have been used at various times and places for the loquat : hawthorn, apple, pear, Mespihts vulgaris, Me- spilus Germanica, service-tree, quince, and loquat. Only the last two are recommended for commercial use in this state. The quince has long been used in Europe and in Japan as a stock for the loquat. In Australia its use is reported to bring the loquat into bearing much earlier. A few nurseries in California employ quince stock almost exclusively, but it is not used to any extent in Florida. Here it does not seem to add to the precociousness of the loquat, as trees budded on loquat stock have usually proved to be sufficiently precocious. The dwarfing effect of the quince root is not so pronounced with the loquat as with the pear, judging from the size of some trees thus propagated. Some budders find that the quince stock buds very readily and prefer it for that reason, but it is liable to sucker badly and may prove a nuisance in that respect. Quince stock is grown from cuttings made, ordinarily in December, of well- 258 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT STATION hardened wood taken from a strong growing variety such as the Angers. These cuttings, about eight inches long, are rooted in well- prepared field beds of a well-drained sandy-loam soil. The cuttings remain in the cutting bed for about one year, or until the dormant season, when they are taken up and planted out in regular nursery rows. The stocks are ready for budding the fol- lowing August or September. The loquat itself is undoubtedly the best stock for the tree in Cali- fornia. Young trees budded on loquat stock often come into bearing the second year after budding. In fact, bunches of fruit are often seen on budded trees still in the nursery row. Such young trees should not be al- lowed to carry much fruit, however, as the first two or three years should be devoted to the production of a strong framework upon which future crops are to be produced. The suc- cess of hundreds of orchard trees in California worked on loquat stocks is sufficient evidence that this stock is well adapted to our soil conditions. The difficulty which some budders experience in budding loquat seedlings seems to be not so much in getting the buds to set as in forcing the buds out later on, a difficulty which may be overcome by cutting off the tops of the stocks as early as possible, so that the bud will start to grow with the first flow of sap in the spring. Loquat stocks are grown from the seed, which germinate readily if they are not allowed to dry out after they have been taken from the fruit. Seeds for planting are preferably selected from the fruit of vigorous, healthy trees and from large, well-developed fruits. If it is desirable to keep the seeds for any length of time, they may be stored in damp, but not wet, sand or sawdust until planting time. The seeds may be planted directly in four-inch pots or they may be sprouted in wet sand or sawdust and placed in pots as soon as the sprouts appear. By the latter method the more vigorous seeds can be selected and a more uniform lot of seedlings secured. One inch is sufficient depth for planting the seed. The soil does not need to Fig. 1. — Loquat budded on root- ed quince cutting, the bud starting into growth. BULLHTIN 250 THE LOQUAT 259 be rich ; it should be of a sandy texture, so that it will not bake. The seedlings should be allowed to grow in the pots under a lath house or other shelter until the heaviest spring rains are over and the soil in the nursery row is in good, condition for planting. It is advisable to transplant them into the open ground in the early summer, as they will make more growth there than in pots. The seeds, after sprouting in sand or even be- fore, may be planted at once in seed beds or even in nur- sery rows in the open ground instead of in pots if the soil is not inclined to bake and is well drained. Trees from seeds planted in April or May should be large enough to bud a year from the following Oc- tober or November. Seedlings should be about one-half inch in diameter at the base at the time of budding. Budding. — The method of budding loquat trees in the nursery is practically the same as that used for citrus trees. An ordinary shield bud is inserted in the fall of the year when the bark will slip, tied with waxed cloth and allowed to remain dormant until early spring. It is customary not to cut off the tops of citrus trees in an attempt to force out the buds until March or the first of April, but, as already stated, the loquat buds should be forced out earlier by cutting the stocks back an inch or two above the bud about the middle of January. In case the buds fail to set, a second bud can be placed on the opposite side of the stock. Care should be exercised in the selection of buds. They should be taken from well-matured wood of the previous season 's growth, and not from tender, succulent growth. If the wood of the bud slips out readily, it may be removed, but this is not essential to success. Buds in the axils of mature leaves are small and the bases of the leaf -stalks large ; such buds are difficult to use successfully and should be rejected in favor of the naked buds. Fij 2. — Method of grafting pot-grown loquat seedling, used successfully in Georgia 260 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION Grafting. — Propagation by grafting is sometimes practiced both in this state and elsewhere. It is employed both in India and Japan, according to letters received from nurserymen in those countries. M. Sato states that top-grafts, cleft-grafts, and root-grafts are generally used in Japan, G. W. Oliver describes^"^ and figures a method of side- grafting six-months-old seedlings which is said to be very satisfactory and can be used on seedlings grown in pots for shipping purposes. A Georgia nurseryman uses the loquat as stock and grafts pot-grown plants very successfully by a form of cleft-graft, as shown in figure 2. A prominent loquat grower of Southern California has good results in whip-grafting loquat seedlings in the nursery row. Such grafted stocks are tender and should be sheltered from excessive sunlight. One disadvantage of such a method is that in case of failure of the scion to grow the operator has little chance to regraft the same stock, whereas in budding there is always an opportunity to place a second or even a third bud if the first fails to set. SOILS AND SITUATIONS In California the loquat tree has not shown itself particular as to soil conditions, since it thrives in a great variety of soil types. In Orange County better results are obtained and the fruit is of better quality on the lighter gravelly soil mixed with adobe than on the heavier soil. Excellent crops are produced near Placentia in a fine sandy loam, which is easily kept in a good condition of cultivation and fertility. In shallow soil near Santa Barbara the loquat trees are small but thrifty and bear good fruit every season. In deeper soil in the same locality the trees are more than twice as large and bear correspondingly larger crops. It is not advisable to plant loquat trees for commercial purposes on shallow soil ; there should be at least four or five feet of good soil. Hardpan near the surface should be broken up with dynamite before planting. In Florida a very rich, moist soil is said to be most favorable for the perfect development of the tree, though such soil must be perfectly drained, as excess of water about the roots is fatal. The loquat tree grows on a comparatively wide range of soils in Japan, doing best in sandy loam. In California, as in Japan, the trees produce more and better flavored fruits on rather dry soil than on well-irrigated land. In the latter conditions the total number of fruits is slightly less and the fruit is well devel- oped with thick flesh, but the rich flavor is lacking. It is an accepted fact that seedling loquat trees planted in rich soil are very slow coming into bearing, the strong, vigorous growth being at the expense of fruitfulness. Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 261 On account of the liability of the flowers and young fruit of the loquat to frost damage, only those sites which have good air drain ao^e and which are comparatively free from killing frosts should be selected for a commercial orchard. Slightly elevated land with a southern or western exposure is often desirable. Wherever lemons are produced successfully throughout the year loquats ought to thrive. Reference has already been made to the planting of loquat orchards directly on the sea coast of other countries. Such plantings are advisable in California only in those parts of the southern coast counties where there is sufficient sunshine and heat to mature the crop for an early market, as at such a time the markets are not crowded with other fruits. OECHAED MANAGEMENT In California loquat trees are balled at the time of transplanting from the nursery. They may be transplanted with bare roots, but the extra labor and expense of balling wall be well repaid by the earlier recovery from the shock and the more rapid pushing into growth. Balling is always advisable if nursery trees are to be shipped any distance. For shipping great distances, the trees should be cut back severely, leaving short stubs for the primary branches; the plants, with roots bare, may then be packed carefully in damp sphagnum moss and shipped in a burlap wrapper or in a crate with as little delay as possible. Some of the lower and older leaves should be removed entirely and the rest cut back one-half, so as to check evap- oration. The best time to transplant the trees is in the spring during March or April, when they are somewhat dormant, although they can be safely moved in September or October. Loquat trees in orchard form should be planted not closer than twenty-two feet apart by the square system. The same distance should be used if planting in equilateral triangles or by the hexagonal system, which consists of six trees enclosing a seventh. In sections where the trees habitually overbear, a common practice is to crowd the trees into rows twenty- four feet apart, with the trees twelve feet apart in the row, a practice which helps to dwarf the tree and produce more uniform and regular crops. The wide space between the rows gives ample room for the growth of cover crops, for thorough cultivation and for the harvesting of the fruit. While at first thought it might seem that such wide spacing is wasteful, we must remember that the soil in this space is full of feeding roots and that the growth of cover crops or the application of humus-forming materials over this surface helps to keep the trees in a thrifty condition. If the trees are planted twenty-two by twenty-two feet, each tree will have at least 484 square 262 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT STATION Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 263 feet of feeding surface. If planted twelve by twenty-four feet, each tree will have at least 288 square feet of feeding surface. In the former case approximately 90 trees, in the latter approximately 151 trees will occupy an acre. The smaller size of the trees in the closer planting is a distinct advantage, especially in picking the fruit, which can all be gathered from the ground or from a short stepladder. The great size of many old seedling loquat trees in California may convince some that trees should be given sufficient room in the orchard to attain the same size there. But such trees have usually grown to great size at the expense of fruitfulness. They have never been systematically pruned or otherwise cared for, but have been allowed to grow as they might. For commercial purposes, the grower of course desires to get the greatest amount of marketable fruit possible. That this may be done most economically by crowding the trees has been demonstrated in more than one orchard in Orange County. The loquat tree is well adapted to interplanting with other fruit trees. If budded trees are planted they come into bearing early and good profits may be realized from the sale of fruit before it is necessary to remove the trees. A ranch in San Diego County has recently been interplanted with loquats and avocados, the latter to be permanent. Loquat trees may be planted advantageously in young walnut orchards if climatic conditions are favorable. Culture. — The culture of a loquat orchard differs in a few points from that of other orchards. The soil should of course be kept in good physical condition by thorough cultivation, by the addition of organic matter, and by sufficient irrigation. The harvesting season is the reverse of that of most of our common fruits, coming in the spring instead of in the fall. Clean culture may be practiced throughout the season, but the growth of either a winter or summer leguminous cover crop is much more advisable. In the latter case, the natural vegetation of the winter season is allowed to grow, being cut with a mower if it becomes too tall, but not plowed under until the fruit is all picked. The ground should then be thoroughly cultivated and if sufficient water is available a summer cover crop such as buckwheat or the whippoorwill cowpea planted. Winter cover crops may be planted as early as September, in which case they may have made sufficient growth to be turned under before the harvest begins. This is not always possible, especially if an early variety of loquat is grown; in fact, it is a question whether it is advisable to plow and work the ground deeply or at all during the setting and maturing of the fruit. It will be necessary then to allow the cover crop to remain on the ground while the fruit is being harvested, a course which is open to 264 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT STATION the possible objection that the stems of such plants as burr clover or vetch become woody and do not decay so readily when plowed under. This may be an advantage in aerating and loosening heavy soils, but not so advantageous in a light sandy soil, particularly if water is scarce. Fertilization. — The loquat tree naturally produces heavy, luxuriant foliage and a large amount of fruit. It is seldom a shy bearer. Cali- fornia soils are usually rich in plant food and orchards will not ordi- narily^ require much additional plant food during the first few years. When the trees begin to bear heavy crops, however, plant food in one form or another should be supplied. When the average California soil begins to fail from heavy production, nitrogen is likely to be the first crop limiter, after nitrogen phosphoric acid, and after phosphoric acid potash. The addition of nitrogen by leguminous cover crops has already been advised. The proper amounts of mineral fertilizers for loquat orchards will have to be worked out to a certain extent by each grower on his own place and under his own local conditions. The grower should maintain the soil in good phj^sical condition, for even though the food elements are present in sufficient quantities, the plant cannot use them if soil conditions are unfavorable to the development of a vigorous and healthy root system. A writer from South Africa^^ states that, so far as he knows, there is no fruit tree which will so cheerfully respond to all you give it, hence a liberal application of old, well-rotted manure applied yearly in early winter will have the effect of improving greatly both the quality and quantity of the crop. He further states that he could give many instances where the fruit of an ordinary loquat tree has increased to four times its usual size after pruning and liberal manur- ing. In Japan stable manure, litter, and weeds from the roadsides or meadows are often used and the use of commercial fertilizers is extending. Growers in California should seize every opportunity to obtain barnyard manure and apply it liberally, at least fifteen cubic feet being placed around every tree every other year. Other hnmus- forming materials such as alfalfa hay, grain or bean straw can often be used to great advantage in loquat orchards. Irrigation. — The amount of water required by loquat trees is about the same as or a little less than that required for citrus trees. Along the coast this will be about one and one-fourth miner's inches to ten acres, while farther inland three miner's inches should be available. It is a mistake to think that on account of the natural hardiness of the tree and its ability to withstand dry seasons better than some other trees summer irrigations will not be necessary. There must be suffi- Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 265 cient water in the soil to enable the shoots of the season to develop and mature and the strong, terminal, fruiting buds to fill out properly. As the trees blossom early, frequently in October in Southern Cali- fornia, a good irrigation should be given just before or during the swelling of the blossom buds. If the winter rains do not come at the proper time or in sufficient quantity, they should be supplemented by irrigation. Where several varieties are grown, the picking season may extend from the latter part of February to the middle of June, and during this period two or three irrigations are generally advisable. The grower should keep himself informed as to the moisture conditions by examining the soil to a depth of three or four feet at frequent intervals and provide water accordingly. Pruning and Top Working. — Loquat trees should be properly headed in the nursery row. For California conditions a low head is advisable. Most of the budded trees branch out naturally and form more or less symmetrical heads, so that little if any pruning is neces- sary. Occasional trees make a strong upright growth four or five feet high without forming any lateral branches ; such trees should be headed at about thirty-six inches and an attempt made to develop the five main branches at intervals along the upper eighteen inches of trunk rather than to crowd them near the top. The pruning of bear- ing trees has been very little practiced by California growers up to the present time. The removal of dead and broken branches is about all that has been done. It is becoming recognized, however, that some pruning will have to be done if the trees are to be kept in shape and maximum crops produced. They should be thinned out a little every year and should be encouraged to throw out vigorous shoots which will gradually renew the top and keep the tree in a healthy condition. It must be remembered that flower buds are produced at the tip of the season 's growth. These bear at their bases other buds which form a whorl of branches surrounding the flower cluster and the developing fruit. Such branches should not be simply clipped or shortened back if too thick, but should be severed at their junction with the mother limb, an operation which will lessen the labor required for the tedious thinning of the fruit later on. All dead and dry flower clusters should be removed. The best time for pruning is during the summer after the crop has been harvested. In California large crops of good fruit are often produced on old seedling loquat trees, which only require care and some thinning of the fruit to make them profltable from a commercial standpoint. ^V large percentage of seedling trees, however, are unprofitable, and such 266 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT STATION trees, if healthy, should be worked over to some standard variety by one of the following methods which experience has shown to be suc- cessful. One method largely used in Orange County is that of shield budding into new wood forced out by cutting back the tree more or less severely at the beginning of the growing season in September or October. A year from the time of cutting back a large bud taken from mature wood of the previous season's growth is inserted near the base of each branch, whenever the bark slips readily, and firmly wrapped with waxed cloth. If at the end of three or four weeks the buds have united, the branch should be broken or cut off a foot or more above the bud in order to force it into growth. Later the stub is sawed off close up to the bud and the wound waxed over or painted. By this method, however, a year's time is consumed in waiting for the growth of the new wood, a delay which may be overcome by bark- grafting into the main branches sawed off in spring or early summer a foot or more above their union with the trunk. Bark-grafting seems to be more successful with the loquat than cleft-grafting. Scions with at least two good buds should be selected from well-matured wood of the previous season's growth. These are prepared with a long, slanting cut at the base and pushed carefully into a slit in the bark of the stock until they begin to split their own way down, and are thus firmly placed. The head of the stock is then tightly wrapped with waxed cloth and all exposed wood on stock and scion covered with grafting wax as a protection from drying out and decay. White- washing the trunk and stubs of branches is an additional protection against sunburn. Thinning. — Loquat trees are, as a rule, exceedingly prolific and their natural tendency is to bear large crops of fruit at the expense of size and quality. Some growers overcome this difficulty to a certain extent by crowding the trees in the orchard, as has already been explained. The thinning of other fruits has been found to be profit- able and should be more largely practiced with the loquat, especially in such seasons as 1914, when an enormous crop wa^ harvested, but low prices were received on account of the small size of the fruit. The unprecedented low temperatures of the winter of 1912-13 acted as a thinning agent and the succeeding crop was small, but both the fruit and the prices were exceptionally good. Since the fruit grows in clusters, it would be impracticable to thin out such clusters so that each fruit would have a certain amount of space in which to develop, as is sometimes advocated for deciduous fruits. It will therefore be sufficient to clip out the ends of the bunches with a pair of thinning shears whenever they are too heavy or the branches are liable to be Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 267 5* crq O ti crc3 a> O 268 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION overloaded. This is particularly advocated with certain varieties, the bunches of which, on young trees at least, are very large and often break off before the fruit matures. The thinning should be done when the fruits are less than one-half inch in diameter. Bagging. — A Japanese writer^^ states that by the practice of bag- ging the "growth of fruit is favored and the ripening is accelerated several days. Moreover, the skin remains very thin and delicate and the fruits are larger in size and, above all, they are more uniform whether exposed or in shade, a point of high importance in the market." Bagging is regarded as the simplest, most economical and most effective means for the protection of the fruit from insects and birds. A skillful workman can place 1500-2000 bags a day. Small paper bags made of old newspapers or of "mino-gami," a strong Japanese paper, are used. In California, so far as we know, only one grower has practiced bagging to any extent. The bags used are made from a good grade of muslin, which costs by the bolt about 6 cents per yard. Average bags that will cover large bunches can be made for about l^/o cents each, and if carefully handled Avill last six seasons. Cheese cloth does not give sufficient protection from the birds, which soon tear the bags by pecking at the fruit. Strong paper bags may prove to be economical, but are not so durable as those of muslin. Bagging is begun when the fruit is from one-half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, although in some seasons it may be delayed until the fruit begins to color. When the spring season is warm and dry, bagging commences earlier, as the fruit is somewhat sensitive to heat. During the harvesting season the bags can be shifted from the clusters which are picked to other clusters which are still immature. While bagging is recommended as a means of improving the quality of the fruit and protecting it from injury, it may not prove profitable in extensive orchards. Its advisability is largely dependent upon the cost of labor. HARVESTING, PACKING, AND MARKETING Loquats should be left on the tree until they are fully matured and the maximum amount of sugar is developed. If the fruit is not picked for about ten days after the color is well developed, the flavor will be greatly improved and the shipping quality not seriously in- jured.* Nothing is more apt to injure the market for fresh fruit than the shipment of immature, green fruit in order to obtain the higher * Some loquats will decay or drop off as soon as mature, but the fruit of most varieties will continue to hang on the tree and will eventually shrivel and dry up. Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 269 prices of the early season. This is particularly true of loquats, which are excellent when fully ripe but very disappointing when only par- tially ripe. The fruit in a cluster usually matures uniformly, so that the entire cluster may be cut at once, but in some cases where the fruit at the base ripens before that at the tip of the cluster the pickers will have to use judgment as to what fruit should be cut and what should be left. A little experience will soon enable the pickers to judge from the color of the fruit the proper degree of maturity. Fig. 5. — A single cluster of the Champagne loquat 270 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION The fruit should never be pulled from the tree by hand, as the stem would separate from the flesh and cause decay to set in at once. A pair of round-pointed fruit clippers such as are commonly used in gathering oranges and lemons should be used for clipping the bunches and grading the fruit. The bunches are placed carefully in baskets, which when full are carried to convenient trees, in the shade of which the fruit is sorted and placed in boxes. The amount of fruit picked depends upon the size of the bunches and of the individual fruits, varying from 20 to 30 boxes a day, or 600 to 900 pounds of fruit. The best pickers will average 800 to 1000 pounds a day. Ordinarily only two grades of fruit are made, the largest and finest fruit which is free from defects being placed in one box while all the remaining fruit which is at all fit for market is dropped into the second box. Three grades can often profitably be made: the first consisting of only the best or fancy fruit, the second of choice or standard fruit for the ordinary market, and the third of undersized and misshapen fruit to be sold for jelly, jam or other by-products. All superfluous stems should be clipped off and all badly bruised, shriveled or scarred fruit thrown out. Inspection of the hundreds of boxes of loquats in a Los Angeles commission house on one or two days of the 1914 season certainly showed the need of more careful grading. In some boxes all sizes of fruit could be found, while in others a rather large proportion should never have been shipped to market at all. Such careless grading is a hindrance to the develop- ment of a good market. Much of the loquat crop in Orange County is now hauled to Los Angeles daily by motor truck. About nine growers co-operate and the fruit is practicall}^ all shipped to one commission house. The fruit requires no special packing, a paper being placed in the bottom of each box, which is then filled with the sorted fruit and shipped without a cover. Choice fruit should, however, receive better handling and packing. One grower, who ships by express, packs the fruit largely in half -size orange boxes, Bermuda grass and newspapers being used for packing. Doubtless fancy fruit packed carefully in small baskets or special cartons with an attractive label would bring more remunerative prices should a special market be developed. In some markets the fruit is seen packed in the small square fruit baskets, such as are commonly used for plums, grapes or tomatoes, and is much more attractive than when loosely bunched on the fruit stand. Experimental shipments of loquats have been made to eastern cities with excellent results so far as the shipping was concerned. Until a larger acreage is planted, however, and shipments made on a Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 271 much larger scale the home markets will be found more profitable. A demand for new fruits must be created before a market is assured. Such a demand has already been created in Los Angeles during the past ten years, and every spring the buyers, both wholesale and retail, know what to expect and are prepared to handle large quantities of the fruit. A single commission firm often handles daily as many as four hundred boxes of twenty-five pounds capacity each. In San Francisco, the largest market for loquats is among the Orientals, who have known the fruit in their native countries. Yields and Returns. — Loquat trees should begin to bear profitably at the age of five years. A ten-year-old tree should produce 200 pounds of marketable fruit. A fourteen-acre orchard in Orange County, with the trees mostly set 12 by 24 feet, produced in 1912 about 65 tons of fruit, in 1913 only 40 tons on account of frost, and in 1914, a season of very heavy bearing, 80 tons of good fruit. The average price received by the grower has been about 5 cents a pound. A study of the Los Angeles market quotations during the past three years shows that the lowest price for loquats was 2 cents on June 4, 1914, while the highest was 20 cents, on March 27, 1913. Earlier in the season the price has been as high as 35 cents a pound, and the advantage of growing early fruit is thus apparent. The best grade of the Thales loquat brings 10 cents a pound to the grower, while the second grade is sold locally in lug boxes at from 3 to 5 cents. In answer to the question, ''Does loquat culture really pay?" it can truthfully be said that it does, and also that it does not. Some growers have made it very profitable, while others have lost money and are trying either to sell or preparing to plant some other crop. The largest grower in Orange County considers that loquats should pay from $300 to $500 gross per acre, returns which compare favor- ably with those from many other tree fruits. Loquats should be profitable if the grower plants good varieties in a location reasonably free from frost, w^here the fruit matures early. He should cultivate, irrigate, and otherwise care for the trees properly and use good busi- ness judgment in marketing the fruit. By-products. — A large part of the loquat crop is now sold for fresh consumption. There is a great demand, however, for fruit to be used in making jellies, jams, preserves, pies, and for canning. Loquat jelly has a notable reputation for its quality, and more than one firm in Los Angeles manufactures such jelly, although not yet in any great quantity. One firm writes that it is very difficult to get people to use new varieties of fruits put up in jellies and jams, since they prefer the currant and other fruits which they have always known and which 272 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION are perfectly satisfactory to them. The market for such a product needs development just as it does for any other new product. Fruit for jelly making" should not be picked too ripe ; some of the more acid varieties can be used for this purpose. In Japan the manufacture of wine from loquats is practiced to some extent, according to Takahashi.^^ The Japanese also make syrup preserves, preferring the varieties with yellow flesh for this purpose. For canning the Mogi, Kusunoki. Tanaka and Dohi are said to be suitable varieties. The Tanaka and Dohi are rather too sour for fresh use and are more appreciated when preserved. The Kagoshima White has excellent flavor, but the fruit is a little too small for canning. VAEIETIES The list of varieties of loquats is not long when compared with the lists of varieties of such fruits as the apple or pear. The names of forty-six Japanese varieties were published by T. Ikeda in "The Fruit Culture in Japan," and about fifty varieties have been described in California and other countries. As long ago as 1908 Mr. C. P. Taft of Orange wrote*^ that some of the many seedlings which he had fruited were superior to anything of the kind in California and so far as he could find even the best in the world, a statement which has been substantiated recently by a letter received from the Department of Agriculture, which states that the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction has brought in a number of varieties from time to time, but has not obtained any superior to those developed by Mr. Taft. In Italy a number of varieties have been developed by Dr. Sprenger and others, while in Algeria Dr. Trabut has been instrumental in extending the culture of the loquat, in introducing varieties from other countries and in the improvement of varieties already grown. In an article*^ published by Dr. Trabut in 1908, the varieties of loquats were classified into two groups, the classification being based upon the color of the flesh, those having crisp, white flesh constituting one group and those having orange, or yellow flesh, the second group. This classification will hold in most cases, although many intermediate forms will be found. The characteristics of a good loquat which should be sought in new varieties may be enumerated as follows : 1. Size. — Although size is somewhat dependent upon the season and the amount of fruit on the tree, it varies widely in different varieties, and as a premium is paid for the larger specimens size is an important factor in the line of improvement. Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 273 2. Quality and Flavor. — Quality should not be sacrificed for the sake of size. Some of the large varieties now on the market are rather deficient in flavor. They bring a good price on account of their size and appearance, but compare unfavorably^ with some of the much smaller fruit in qualitj^ 3. Color. — While loquats vary considerably, a good variety should have a clear, attractive color. In general, a rich orange-red is more pleasing, although a clear, lemon-yellow is very characteristic and presents a good appearance on the market. 4. Seeds. — The reduction in the number and size of the seeds is a great desirability and small-seeded fruits with thick flesh should be sought for. 5. Aro7na. — An aroma would add greatly to the good qualities of the loquat fruit. This quality is not present to any extent in the California varieties, although it could probably be readily introduced into the better kinds by crossing with some of the foreign varieties, several of which are described as more or less aromatic. 6. Sliipping Quality. — For commercial purposes the fruit should stand shipment to distant markets. It must have firm flesh, rather tough skin, and a stem which does not separate readily from the flesh. 7. Resistance to Disease. — A variety should be resistant to disease, especially to the pear blight. One or two otherwise good varieties have been discarded in California because of their susceptiblity to blight. 8. Earliness. — Loquats must be early in order to command good prices, since in June they come into competition with other fruits and the demand decreases. The earliest fruits, however, are most liable to frost damage and should be grown only in practically frostless locations or in orchards which can be protected by artiflcial means. The following list of varieties includes all which have originated in California and a few which have been introduced or may be worthy of introduction. It should be stated that the descriptions of many of the varieties were made from fruit grown in the spring of 1914, when the crop was exceptionally large, but the sizes of individiual fruits much smaller than usual. Advance. — This variety, selected in 1897 by C. P. Taft of Orange, California, from fifty seedlings which he had planted, far excelled most of the others in size, prolificness and beauty of clusters. It has since proved to be very pro- ductive, and many trees are being propagated not only in California but in various foreign countries. The clusters of fruit are very large, often containing as many as twenty perfect specimens. A short account and a colored plate of 274 UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION the Advance are given in the U. S. D. A. Yearbook for 1901. It was first described in the Pacific Eural Press, May 6, 1899, by Mr. Taft. Description of fruit grown in Mr. Taft's orchard in 1914: Weight of ten, 361 grams; form, pear-shaped; size, 2l^ by 1 inch; basin, slightly sunken, wrinkled; calyx, closed; color, deep straw-yellow; bloom, fairly abundant; dots, light, abundant, somewhat streaked; skin, thick and tough; flesh, white, juicy, sweet; quality, excellent; seeds, three or four. Season at Orange, April to June 15. Blush. — Syn. Eed Blush. This is a very large loquat much like the Advance. It was selected by Mr. Taft as a variety which was almost immune to blight, since about fifty out of one hundred trees of the Blush did not show even one blighted blossom. The variety has been discarded, however, as it had no other point of superiority to the Advance, and the latter has in late years proved almost as free from blight. Fig. 6. — Champagne loquat, one of the best varieties for home and commercial planting Champagne. — The Champagne is the latest variety introduced by Mr. Taft, having appeared about 1908, and is considered by him to be superior to any of his other varieties. He is top-grafting a large number of old trees with this variety. It seems to be unusually precocious, judging from the behavior of four budded trees. Each of these a little over one year from the time of budding produced a single large cluster of fruit in the center of the tree, cluster No. 1 containing 25, No. 2, 30, No. 3, 25, and No. 4, 27 loquats. Young trees have shown a tendency to form slender branches, which break down with the weight of fruit, a difficulty which necessitates thinning of the clusters. Description of fruit of the crop of 1914: Weight of ten, 395i/o grams; form, pear-shaped, often oblique; size, 2 by 1% inches; basin, slightly corrugated; color, attractive, golden yellow; calyx, closed, only slightly or not at all de- pressed; skin, tough; bloom, rather scanty; flesh, soft, juicy, light colored; flavor, very sweet; quality, extra good; seeds, 3 to 5. Season at Orange, April and May. Commercial. — This variety was introduced by Mr. Taft in 1900. The fruit is of fair size and of good quality. The tree has, however, always been badly affected with knot-like swellings, which of course are undesirable and more or Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 275 less weakening to the tree. They have been reproduced in the growth of buds taken from the original tree. The variety is no longer grown commercially. Early Bed. — This is undoubtedly the earliest variety of loquat grown in California and is recommended for planting in frostless belts for an early market fruit. It was introduced by Mr. Taft in 1909. Description of fruit of the crop of 1914: Weight of ten, 235 grams; form, obliquely pear-shaped; size, medium; basin, shallow, corrugated; color, reddish- orange; dots, white, conspicuous; skin, thick, tough; bloom, abundant; flesh, juicy, light colored; flavor, sweet; quality, fair. Season at Orange, February 1 to May 15. Eulalia. — The Eulalia loquat was introduced by M. Payan of Olive, Cali- fornia, as one of several seedlings of the Advance, planted by him in 1897. Fig. 7. — Early Eed loquat, a variety which matures in February and brings exceptionally good prices on account of earliness The Advance tree from which the seed was secured stood beside a red-fruited seedling tree, which is supposed to be the staminate parent. The first crop was produced in 1903, and two years later its dissemination was begun. In the U. S. D. A. Yearbook for 1905 a colored plate and description of the Eulalia are found. Description from the Yearbook: Form, truncate pyriform to obovate pyri- form; surface, smooth, sparsely covered with light down; basin, irregular, abrupt, corrugated; color, orange-yellow, blushed and washed with red when tree ripened and overspread with a thin bloom; dots, numerous, light gray; skin, thick, tough, acid; flesh, pinkish, translucent, orange, melting, tender, very juicy; seeds of medium size, rather numerous; flavor, subacid; quality, good. Season in Orange County, February to May. Giant. — In his report to the Department of Agriculture for 1887, Reasoner stated that the Giant loquat had not yet fruited in Florida, but H. H. Berger of California, a well known importer of Japanese trees, claimed that it was 276 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION merely the common variety grown on richer soil and under more favorable conditions. The Giant loquat is figured but not described in the Report of the United States Secretary of Agriculture for 1892, although it is stated that this variety is regarded by the Japanese as the best they have. In the Yearbook for 1901, Taylor says that about 1888 the variety of loquat known as the Giant was introduced from Japan by H. H. Berger of San Francisco in the form of grafted trees. The loquat grown by Mr. Taft as the Giant is almost round and Fig. 8. — Premier loquat, a good home variety, but rather soft and not so good for shipping is quite sweet, but as it is neither so large nor so good as some other varieties he has not propagated it. Golden. — This variety is being propagated by Newton B. Pierce of Santa Ana, California, who has furnished the following description: Size, very large; color, golden from skin to seed; pear-shaped; flesh, thick; flavor, very rich, sweet. Season, rather late. Mammoth. — The variety Mammoth is mentioned in the Proceedings of the Twenty-second Session of the American Pomological Society, 1889. In Australia it is recommended tor the coast districts and for any fair soil. Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 277 Pineapple. — The Pineapple loqiiat was introduced by Mr. Taft in 1899. It has been grown in Florida and produced excellent fruit, but being a weak- growing tree it was discarded. The fruit is mostly round, varying to pear- shaped, with light yellow skin and white flesh. The quality is good, but inferior to that of the Champagne. Premier. — This variety was first described by Mr. Taft in the Pacific Kural Press, May 6, 1899. It is a good loquat, but rather soft and liable to decay^ not shipping so well as firmer varieties. Fig. 9. — A cluster of the Thales loquat 278 UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION Description of fruit grown at Orange in 1914: Weight of ten, 448i/^ grams; form, oblong-oval; size 1% by 1% inches; color, deep straw-yellow to salmon; bloom, rather scanty; dots, white, large, conspicuous; skin, fairly thick and tough; flesh, juicy, light colored; flavor, sweet; quality, good; seeds, four or five. Season at Orange, April 1 to June 1. Staley. — The original tree of this variety is growing in the yard of the Staley place on Placentia avenue, near Placentia. It was obtained as a grafted tree from Berger & Co. of San Francisco about the same time as those grown by a neighbor, Mr. Thales, the fruit being quite similar to the Thales variety, but not so large. Tanalca. — This variety originated as a seedling in Tokyo, Japan, and was introduced into this country by the United States Department of Agriculture in June, 1902. It is described as the largest fruited Joquat in Japan, the range of weight being between 40 and 80 grams. The fruit is egg-shaped and of very good quality. Young trees of the Tanaka have been introduced into California, but have so far not fruited sufficiently to show their value. Fig. 10. — Thales loquat, a variety bearing attractive orange-colored fruits, especially good for shipping Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 279 Thales, Syn. Placentia Giant; Gold Nugget. — All of the loquat trees grown by Mr, W. L. Thales of Placentia have been propagated from two grafted trees purchased by Mr. Thales' father some time in the eighties from Berger & Co. One of these trees produced very fine fruit; the other produced small and inferior fruit, which is used only as a source of seed for nursery stock. The fruit of the better variety is shipped to Los Angeles under the name of "Placentia Giant" and on the fruit stands it is sometimes labeled ''Gold Nugget." The name Thales has been applied to this loquat by the West India Gardens of Altadena, where it is being propagated to some extent. The fruit is especially attractive on account of its color, although the quality is not so good nor the sugar content so high as that of some of the other varieties. It is an especially good shipping variety. Description of fruit grown in Mr. Thales' orchard in 1914: Weight of ten, 473 grams; form, oblong-obovate; size, large; basin, slightly depressed, regular; color, orange-yellow, very attractive; dots, white, numerous, somewhat streaked; Fig. 11. — Victor loquat, a firm-fruited variety especially good for canning bloom, scanty; skin, tough; flesh, thick, orange-yellow, juicy; flavor, sweet; quality, fair; seeds, 2 to 4. Season at Placentia, April and May. Variegated. — The variegated loquat is grown for ornamental purposes only. It is mentioned in Eeasoner's Keport on Florida fruits for 1887, and was intro- duced later from Japan by the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction under No. 9246. The tree is listed occasionally in nursery catalogues, but is seldom propagated, as there has been little demand for it. Victor. — The Victor loquat was described by Mr. Taft in the Pacific Eural Press, May 6, 1899. It has redder flesh than the Advance and is perhaps larger, but the clusters are not so fine. On account of its firmness it has long been recommended as a good variety for canning. Description of fruit grown in Mr. Taft's orchard in 1914: Weight of eight, 299 grams; form, oblong-oval; size, medium to large; basin, slightly depressed; color, deep golden-yellow; dots, white, numerous; bloom, thin; skin, tough; flesh, yellowish-white; flavor, sweet, lacking character; quality, good; seeds, 3 to 5. Season at Orange, May 15 to July 1. 280 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION A variety of loquat known as the Taza has recently been developed b}^ Dr. Trabut of Algiers^- by crossing the Tanaka with an Algerian variety. The fruit is described as being large, very firm, and having a flesh less colored than the Tanaka but more fragrant and agreeable to the taste. It will be ready for distribution in 1915. Other Algerian varieties are: Olivier, Longue, Mercadal, Don Carlos, Baronne Hall, St. Michel long and round, Scala, Narbonne, Dauphin, Tolemly Pre- cocious, Miss Archwright, Pomme, Miss B. Hall, Doree, and Meffre's No. 2. The following varieties are from Italy: Palermo, Limoncello, Conca d'Oro, Vanille, A un Pepin, and Santa Rosalia. Some of the Australian varieties are: Chatsworth Victory, Early Golden, Gigantic, Herd's Mammoth, and Thame's Prize. Bonita is a Mexican variety. The following analyses of two California varieties, the Champagne and the Thales, have been furnished by Professor Jaffa of the Division of Nutrition of this station : Thales Loquat, grown by W. L. Thales, Placentia, Cal. Proportion of edible portion and refuse : Edible portion, per cent 70.00 Seeds, per cent 15.00 Skins and core (rag) 15.00 Analysis of edible portion: Water, per cent 89.00 Protein, per cent 0.35 Fat, per cent 0.06 Sugar: Dextrose, per cent 8.95 Sucrose, per cent 0.94 Crude fiber, per cent 0.30 Ash, per cent 0.29 Undetermined, per cent 0.11 100.00 Champagne Loquat, grown by C. P. Taft, Orange, Cal. 62.20 18.20 19.60 85.00 0.32 0.03 11.96 0.83 0.37 0.36 1.13 100.00 PESTS Diseases. — The loquat is subject to only a few fungous diseases, the most serious being the pear blight. The following list includes some which are found in California and a few others which have been reported as occurring in other countries: Bulletin 250 THE LOQUAT 281 Anthracnose or Blossom Blight {Collet otriclium sp.). This disease was noted in the U. S. D. A. Yearbook for 1907 as being prevalent in Southern Florida. C. poUacii is reported as appearing on loquats in Italy. Black Spot or Scab (Fusicladium dendriticum var. eriohotryae) . This is re- ported^s to be a serious disease of the loquat in Australia. The fruit is attacked when half grown by brownish-black spots, which soon extend, stop the further development of the fruit, and disfigure its appearance. The fleshy part of the fruit becomes dessicated and the skin seems to cling to the stones. A large proportion of the crop may in a short space of time be rendered absolutely unsalable. It is also well known in Italy upon the leaves. In California the scab is quite common both on nursery and bearing trees, attacking both leaves and fruit. It is figured in Bulletin 218 of this station. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture after the blossoms have fallen and the fruit is setting should prove an effective remedy. Pear Blight (Bacillus amylovorus) . — The pear blight is a serious enemy of the loquat at times, blossom blight often being especially abundant on trees during the spring months. Such infected twigs should be cut off well back of the diseased area and burned, care being taken to sterilize the pruning shears in alcohol or formalin after each cut so as to reduce the danger of further infection. Occasionally entire trees are killed by the blight, which gradually extends downward from the branches into the trunk, although in most cases the disease does not seem to progress much beyond the branches. Some varieties are more susceptible than others. For example, the Advance is quite resistant and the trees of the Victor, which were very susceptible when young, have in later years become more or less immune; the Champagne showed considerable blossom blight in the spring of 1914, but to no greater extent than young trees of other varieties. The trees seem to gain resistance as they grow older. The oak-root fungus (Armillaria mellea) is reported to have killed a large loquat tree in Santa Barbara County. In South Africa a species of Entomosporium frequently attacks young nursery trees and it has been seen on bearing trees, but no serious damage has resulted. Insects. — The number of insect pests of the loquat is much smaller than the number of fungous pests. The tree is seldom found to be seriously attacked by scale insects, probably on account of the pubescent nature of the young leaves and shoots. The San Jose scale is reported to occur on the trees in Butte County. An occasional specimen of black scale may be found on the leaves or even on the fruit, especially if the tree is near an infested olive or citrus tree. The greedy scale is often found abundantly on the upper surface of the leaves along the midrib, and also on the stems wherever the pubescence has disap- peared. Other species of insects have been reported on the loquat as follows: A lepidopterous larva (Dichocrocis punctiferalis) attacks loquats in Australia, according to the Queensland Agricultural Journal of 1913. The Mediterranean fruit fly {Ceratitis capitata) is reported by Severin, Sil- vestri, and Ehrhorn to infest loquat fruit under certain conditions. The green apple aphis {Aphis pomi) has been collected on loquats at Santa Paula and Claremont, California, by E. O. Essig. The cotton square-borer {Uranotes melinus) sometimes attacks loquats in Florida, according to the Annual Eeport of that station for 1913. Birds. — Linnets are probably the most serious pests in a loquat orchard. During one season the tanagers were common at Fullerton and destroyed con- 282 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT STATION siderable fruit, but their depredations are infrequent. In small orchards pro- tection can be gained by the use of muslin or paper bags, as has been previously described. In larger orchards the birds may be poisoned by means of oranges cut in half and placed around the edges of a tray elevated above the ground; after the birds have had a good taste of the orange, strychnine is added to the pulp. As many as two hundred and fifty linnets a day are reported to have been killed in this way, while only a few useful birds were harmed. Fig growers of the Fresno district often hire boys to shoot the birds. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. 1712. Kaempfer. Amoenitates Exoticae, fasc. 5, p. 800. 2. 1784. Thunberg, C. P., First Description as Mespilus Japonica. Flora Ja- ponica, p. 206. 3. 1820. 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