From the Archives: Pineapple Oranges

Around 1876, early settlers started citrus groves by budding wild sour orange trees that originated from the shore of Orange Lake in Marion County. Some of these seedlings were grown by James B. Owens and later taken and propagated by Mr. Putnam Bishop. He named this new variety the Hickory Orange. As the trees continued to develop, it was discovered that they created a faint pineapple smell. This led the variety to be named Pineapple instead.

In 1967, Senator W. J. Crosby got inducted into the Citrus Hall of Fame due to his association with the pineapple orange. Due to its unique taste and stunning appearance, the pineapple orange is regarded as one of Florida's best mid-season varieties. Today, there are several varieties of the Pineapple orange being grown in Florida; however, the original continues to be the most popular variety.

In a previous blog, we discussed the difference between a chimera and a hybrid. A hybrid is any organism that is produced by combining genes from two different species. In this case, grafting was used to combine the traits of two different plants. Hybrids isolate desired characteristics in two different species to create an entirely new species that is superior to its parents. A new taste was acquired, and different characteristics can be isolated such as better yields, uniformity, and disease resistance. This process helps growers to better fruits overall.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Wild Oranges

During his travels in the 1700s, a botanist named Bartram reported finding wild citrus groves scattered along lakes and rivers. He stated that the majority of them were found growing with magnolia and bay trees and that the environment was perfectly suited for citrus growth. It is believed that the Native Americans in the area were responsible for planting these wild citrus groves. They most likely got the seeds from white settlers in the region as citrus originated from Europe.

When early settlers began to make a home in Florida, they began to graft and cultivate these citrus groves. A grove is defined as a naturally growing body of trees while an orchard is characterized as being a planned planting that is going to be harvested. Groves are trees that are typically free of underbrush.

Early settlers made attempts to cultivate the citrus groves in formation; however, they realized how difficult it was to grow seedlings in these conditions. This is when the citrus nursery was first implemented. Seedlings are planted in separate regions, and when they become large enough, the seedlings are then moved to the large-scale grove with the already adult trees.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Citrus Greats – Odet Philippe

Odet Philippe, a former surgeon for Napoleon, arrived on the eastern coast of Florida in the early 1800s. Him and his family did not stay here long because they were feuding with the Native Americans already living in the area. So, they decided to leave Florida and set sail for the Caribbean Islands. He landed on the Florida Keys where he met a pirate who told him about Old Tampa Bay and how it was vacant, so he encouraged Phillipe to try again in this region.

Once again, Philippe and his family set sail back to Florida; they settled in present day Safety Harbor and named it St. Helena. He immediately began building his plantation; however, in 1848, a hurricane destroyed part of it. This did not discourage Philippe; he began working to repair the damage and make the entire structure stronger than it previously was.

It is believed that Odet Philippe planted one of the first citrus groves on the west coast of Florida with seeds he brought from the Caribbean. He did many experiments on citrus and the effects of grafting different citrus trees. Grafting is a process used to create the best type of plants. The tissues of two different plants are joined together; this is done to combine the most desirable traits of each plant to create an especially desirable plant. The tissues that are being spliced together start to grow into one another going from two different pieces into one uniform plant. In this case grapefruit was created by grafting an orange with a pomelo. Through these experiments he may have created the grapefruit. In 1892, A. L. Duncan introduced the Duncan grapefruit, which he stated that he got the trees  from Philippe. Today, you can visit the site of Odet Philippe’s plantation and find evidence of his early planting that led to this creation.

 

Odet Philippe was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1963 https://floridacitrushalloffame.com/inductees/odet-philippe/. 

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Jie, Ma Wen. “How to Graft Grapefruit Trees.” Garden Guides, September 21, 2017. https://www.gardenguides.com/115127-graft-grapefruit-trees.html.

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Using Animal Manure as Fertilizer

In a correspondence between Prof. W. L. Drew and Link & Bagley, dealers of Stable and Dairy fertilizers, Drew brings up the idea that their fertilizer could aid in the growth of his citrus groves. He credits the Citrus Industry magazine for the idea that animal manure would work very well in the growth of citrus.

There are several benefits to using animal manure as fertilizer, besides the low cost. Animal manure is rich in nutrients that plants depend on such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen is essential for chlorophyll production aiding in the overall health and growth of plants; phosphorus is used for ATP, or energy production, which is very important for flowering and blooming in plants; potassium is necessary for the use of several enzymes within plants and is essential for photosynthesis and water uptake in plants.

In some cases, animal manure can also help to regulate the pH levels of the soil. When soil is too acidic, this can lead to a decrease in the important nutrients discussed earlier. It can also stunt plant growth and cause browning of the leaves; in some cases, it can even lead to plant death.

Using animal manure also decreases the chances of runoff taking place. When using chemical fertilizers, excess nutrients can get washed into bodies of water. This can be very detrimental to the surrounding environment and lead to excessive algae growth. This is known as algae blooms, and it is caused by excessive nitrogen and phosphorus, the main nutrients in chemical fertilizers.

The addition of manure to soils helps improve the structure of soil making it better at holding water for longer periods of time. This is beneficial because during dry periods plants continue to have access to water stores being held in the soil. This reinforced soil structure is also less likely to erode when compared to regular soil structures.

Overall, the use of animal manure makes sense for various reasons.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Furiness, Cari, Ellis Cowling, Lee Allen, Robert Abt, Doug Fresrick, Kelly Zering, and Robert Campbell. “Using Animal Manures in Forest Fertilization.” North Carolina State Extension, January 1, 2011. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/using-animal-manures-in-forest-fertilization.

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Citrus Experiment Station

In 1917, the Citrus Experiment Station was established at Lake Alfred. They started with 84 acres of land and $13,000 that had been raised by local growers. In 1923, Florida Legislators provided the station with $15,000 for the 1923-1924 fiscal year; this would be approximately $230,000 today. In 1926, the first permanent buildings were constructed; up until this point, they had been operating out of temporary buildings. By 1965, the station had multiple buildings and was spread out across 285 acres of land.

In the beginning, the goal of the station was to perfect already existing methods used for growing, packing, and processing citrus. These small changes helped to increase the efficiency of the field and helped grow the Florida Citrus Industry. In the 1940s, the staff at the experiment station were working on perfecting the processing of citrus concentrate. They received the patent for this process in 1948.

The station underwent a name change in 1970 and began going by the Agricultural Research and Education Center (A.R.E.C). It is currently known as the Citrus Research and Education Center (C.R.E.C.). They are currently working on several topics at the moment including protoplast and cell culture, genetic engineering, and applied plant breeding. The staff at the citrus institute is made up of 250 individuals; 50 of them are also faculty members at the University of Florida.

It is important to keep doing research in the citrus field because it helps growers to increase their yields. Citrus greening is a bacteria that makes both the fruit and tree look as though they lack nutrition and makes the fruit inedible. To combat this, C.R.E.C is working on genetically modifying certain citrus trees, so that they are resistant to this bacteria. The hope is that they will be able to distribute these trees to growers.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Borger, Ruth. “University of Florida awarded key federal grants to continue fight against citrus greening.” UF IFAS Blogs, University of Florida, October 22, 2020. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2020/10/22/university-of-florida-awarded-key-federal-grants-to-continue-fight-against-citrus-greening.

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Citrus Greats - Walter T. Swingle

Similar to any scientific field, early researchers paved the way for the current researchers. This post will acknowledge just one of the many monumental discoveries made in the citrus industry. Starting with Walter T. Swingle, he was a botanist sent to Florida from Washington, D.C. He was originally sent to Florida with the goal of researching the citrus disease plaguing groves at the time. During his time in Florida, he became a part of some of the early research concerning hybrids and hybridization. Swingle is specifically credited with creating the Tangelo, a cross between a tangerine and a pomelo.

Hybridization is a beneficial tool because it allows researchers to combine the most desirable characteristics of two different species to create an entirely new species. This is different from genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, because the genes in GMOs have been altered or enhanced while hybridization takes advantage of the natural traits found in each plant species. This can be done by collecting a sample of the DNA found in each species, unwrapping it, and pairing them with one another to create a DNA helix that has one strand from species A and one strand from species B.

Herbert J. Webber worked alongside Swingle to perfect their hybridization techniques. The pair published several papers, books, bulletins, and pamphlets together discussing the research they had conducted and providing growers with helpful information to aid in the efficiency of growing citrus groves. Webber and Leon D. Batchelor then published The Citrus Industry. This book detailed the history of the citrus industry, botany, and methods used to breed citrus. Citrus growers used these books to aid in their growing techniques and to learn more about the citrus industry. Although not mentioned, there are numerous other researchers and scientists who played a fundamental role in the advancements of the Florida Citrus Industry.

Walter T. Swingle was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1962 as part of the inaugural class: https://floridacitrushalloffame.com/inductees/walter-tennyson-swingle/.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Johnson, Alexander. “How Does Plant Hybridization Work?” ScienceOxygen, September 14, 2022. https://scienceoxygen.com/how-does-plant-hybridization-work/.

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Citrus Canker

Citrus canker is caused by a bacteria that eats the flesh and leaves of fruit. This bacteria is not harmful to humans and the fruit is still edible. However, the fruit is now difficult to sell due to the ugly sores that are created by the canker bacteria. This bacteria can also cause fruit to drop from the tree prematurely stopping it from ripening.

In the early 1900s, there was a widespread outbreak of canker throughout Florida. Frank Starling was hired by the Florida Citrus Growers and the Citrus League to see if he could aid in the battle against canker. Between 1913 and 1933, the state of Florida spent approximately $1.3 million in their attempts to eradicate canker. During this battle against canker, infected trees were burnt down to ensure that they could not spread the bacteria to other trees in the area. It is speculated that the canker bacteria traveled to the States via citrus seedlings from Japan.

There was a reemergence of citrus canker in the 1980s, and it was declared eradicated in 1994. However, there was a report of canker in Miami-Dade County the following year, in September 1995. Before the eradication efforts were successful, a hurricane spread the bacteria to several other counties. By 2005, $2.1 million worth of commercial grade citrus had been destroyed. In 2006, the eradication efforts were forced to stop because it had become impossible to eradicate canker due to how widespread it had become.

Currently, canker is still active in citrus groves with the majority of infections taking place between April and July. Growers have learned how to deal with the bacteria; applying copper containing products periodically to produce has been known to deter canker in citrus. Although, it should be noted that copper is not a guaranteed deterrent to the bacteria. As there are no known cures to the bacteria, these methods will have to be sufficient for the time being.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Dewdney, M. M., M. Zekri, P. D. Roberts, and J. D. Burrow. “Homeowner Fact Sheet: Citrus Canker.” UF IFAS Extension, University of Florida, June 4, 2018. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP116. 

 

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992.

From the Archives: Soil Science Foundation

In 1939, the Soil Science Foundation was started by a group of farmers in Dade City who were looking to come up with solutions that they were facing with their various crops; the Soil Science Foundation is credited with several scientific accomplishments. Their first headquarters was a small building on the campus of Florida Southern College, and they did not relocate off campus for 10 years.

When the Foundation started, they were running experiments on the fertilization of sandy soils at the Short Grove in Lake County. Sandy soils do not hold nutrients well, meaning fertilization is necessary to ensure that crops are able to obtain the necessary nutrients for growth. However, over fertilization can be harmful for plants as it will change the pH of the soil, suffocate the soil, and cause root damage. The goal of the experiments being run by the foundation was to determine the necessary amount of fertilizer.

During this time, the Foundation also researched the sustainability of Florida flatwoods for citrus planting. Florida flatwoods make up a large portion of Florida’s landscape. Flatwoods are ideal for citrus cultivation because of their sandy moist soils. Citrus does well in sandy soils because it provides good drainage, which prevents root damage from taking place. Planting in flatwoods also helps with irrigation because of the water deposits that are typically found within these flatwoods. However, there may be some disadvantages to planting citrus on these lands. During wet seasons, the soil can become overly saturated due to the water deposits already existing in the soil, they are at risk to develop frost that can cause freeze in citrus, and cultivating citrus in these regions could negatively impact the environment and decrease the biodiversity of the region. The goal of the experiments targeting citrus cultivation on the flatwoods was to determine if using the flatwoods would result in significantly better yields.


To learn more about the Soil Science Foundation, please check out the Soil Science Foundation Records at the McKay Archives: https://www.flsouthern.edu/getattachment/96400c75-e443-47c6-9fc7-690feef0137c/Soil-Science-Foundation-Records-Finding-Aid.pdf.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Source:
 

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992.

From the Archives: Cattle Feed

In the 1900s, growers began to feed cattle the leftover pulp, peels, and seeds that were left behind after the desirable parts of citrus fruit had already been canned for production. Because pulp has a high liquid concentration, it went bad faster than the cattle could eat it. This left much of the feed to rot out in the pastures. This led researchers to run feed tests to determine if the citrus by-products were providing any nutrition for their cattle. This research found that only the pulp had any actual nutritional value that would be beneficial to the cattle while both the peel and seeds did not have any value to them.

Upon this discovery, there was a race to patent citrus pulp as feed. Everyone wanted a chance at reaping the rewards for this invention. The Pratt Food Company was one of the first plants that popped up in Tampa with the sole purpose of processing citrus waste. After this, several other companies opened branches that were responsible for dealing with citrus waste.

In order for the pulp to be fed to the cattle, it had to be dried. Reducing the liquid concentration in the pulp allowed the growers to store the pulp for later use without it going bad due to the liquids being held inside the pulp. There are many advantages to using dried citrus pulp for feed. Citrus pulp is a very bulky carbohydrate meaning cattle do not need to eat a lot of it and pulp is high in calcium. However, pulp is low in phosphorus, one of the major nutrients that cattle need, meaning it must be supplemented with other forms of feed to ensure that cattle stay healthy. Citrus pulp is still being used for feed today; however, it is not used for milking cows as it can cause a decrease in milk production.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Source:
 

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992.

From the Archives: Big Freeze

During harsh winters, citrus groves will freeze over - killing the trees to the ground. The first big freeze was in 1835, which was extremely discouraging to early growers. One can understand why Central Florida became a hub of citrus production in the United States, with the optimal climate it's a no-brainer! The optimal climate for citrus production is warm areas with ample sunshine, and 55-100 degrees Fahrenheit is the best range for citrus growth. There are few varieties of citrus that are able to grow in colder temperatures below 50 degrees, but even then, they cannot withstand temperatures lower than 45 without freezing.

When a freeze takes place, the fruit will drop from the tree either instantly or slowly over a period of time. The juices inside of the fruit become frozen making them unideal for selling. Crystals of ice will also form inside the plant tissues throughout the actual tree. During severe cases of freeze, the tree may die; in less severe cases, the tree may be damaged, but it will survive. In the years following a freeze, the trees and branches of affected areas may continue to die; it is difficult to determine the extent of damage done to a grove after a freeze has taken place.

After the freeze has taken place, it is important to monitor the state of the grove, especially for later care of the region. There are several tactics that can be used to ensure the plant is able to recover post freeze which include minimizing pruning, applying less fertilizer (depending on the current state of the tree), and minimizing irrigation.

Overall, a freeze can be extremely detrimental to a grower as it can kill the entire grove of current plants. If not killed, affected plants will need additional care in the months and years following a big freeze.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Source:
 

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992.

From the Archives: Citrus Queens and Miss Florida Citrus

The Florida Citrus Queen pageant took place at the Florida Citrus Festival for the first time in 1924, so this year marks 100 years since the start of the competition. However, this first competition had a very different set up compared to the pageants that followed in the years to come.

Young men and women applied to be crowned as the Citrus King and Queen; Polk County residents then had the opportunity to vote for who they thought should be crowned. Both rulers were crowned at that year’s Citrus Festival and were featured as part of the citrus industry parade. Dorothy Williamson was crowned the first Citrus Queen and Harvey Henderson was crowned Citrus King. This was the only time a King would be crowned.

Following the 1924 competition, another queen was not crowned until 1930 when Ruth Snyder became Citrus Queen. However, the competitions that followed were very different from the first one. Women applied to be a part of the contest where they participated in a series of pageant events. The winner was then picked by a panel of judges. This choice was based on their talents, elegance, and philanthropic endeavors.

As the competition continued, the title began to come with numerous responsibilities and tasks. The Citrus Queen was the face of the citrus industry; she made radio, television, and newspaper appearances informing the public about the interests and concerns that the citrus industry had at the time. The competition took a break in the early 2000s and started back up again in 2015. The pageant is still running currently and will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary at the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant on March 2, 2024.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992. 

1963 Florida Citrus Queen contestants at the Florida Citrus Exposition in Winter Haven. 1963. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/343554.

From the Archives: Citrifacts!

The “From the Archives'' series is back! In these blogs, we will be discussing the history of Florida Southern College’s Citrus Institute as well as some of Professor Tom Mack’s personal endeavors.

 

To start us off, we will be discussing Citrifacts. In September 1983, Prof. Mack wrote the first Citrifact column in the Citrus Industry magazine. This column was seen monthly in the magazine from 1983 until 1999. This column continued to be seen in the magazine as space permitted under the title “It’s a Citrifact,” referencing the original Citrifact column from the ‘80s. It presumably ceased to be published in 2004 following the death of Prof. Mack. This column was used to give some piece of information on citrus whether it was background on an existing system or new information that was recently published. The first Citrifact was about the origin of citrus concentrate in 1920. This article explains how Dr. J. E. Crump, a veterinarian and citrus grower, was the first to produce citrus concentrate in an ice cream freezer. 

 

Citrus concentrate is a powdered juice that can be used to make things taste like citrus. The production of citrus concentrate was a game changer for the citrus industry because this allowed growers the ability to sell citrus year-round. As the citrus industry grew larger and larger, growers began to look for more ways to store excess crops; this is where concentrate comes into the picture. 

 

Creating concentrate is a multi-step process. After harvesting, the fruits are juiced, and the juice is collected. The juice is then strained leaving a clear liquid and is evaporated to remove any water from the solution. This liquid is then deoxygenated meaning all dissolved oxygen is removed from solution; this is done to prevent oxidation from taking place because oxidation can cause rotting. The product then goes through another round of evaporation; it is then cooled and packed away in storage for later use. When it is time to use, the concentrate can be rehydrated by the addition of water.

 

 

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Fall 2023

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Sources:
 

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992.

 

Powers, John Robert and Robert Sidney Moore, Barry Jay Anderson, Galen Edward Downton, Judith Ann Kennedy, Donald Raymond Kearney, and David Arthur Strang. 1983. Process for Preparing Citrus Juice Concentrate. European Patent EP0110638A2, filed November 18, 1983, and issued June 13, 1984. https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0110638A2/en.