Some loquat history:
POPENOE: LOQUATS
315
EVALUATION OF LOQUATS AT THE SUB-TROPICAL
EXPERIMENT STATION
John Popenoe
Associate Horticulturist
Sub-Tropical Experiment Station
Homestead
At the 1936 meetings of the Florida State
Horticultural Society, Mrs. Isabelle Krome
gave a paper on loquats (1). In this paper
many things were discussed, including: the
origin of the Oliver loquat; the possibilities of
obtaining good commercial loquats by selec
tion of seedlings; and the formation of the
Florida loquat society. In a recent conversa
tion with Mrs. Krome it was found that the
loquat society did not accomplish all it set out
to do, and in fact has been all but forgotten.
However, since this time, the Sub-Tropical
Experiment Station has been active in intro
ducing and selecting new varieties for Florida.
Interest in the loquat has changed con
siderably since 1936. Few people now believe
that there is any commercial future for loquats.
One of the main reasons for this is that no
variety of loquat has appeared that has a thick
enough skin and other characteristics neces
sary for commercial handling. With ordinary
handling, our present loquat varieties will keep
only for a day or two. Some will break down
over night. Present interest in loquats is based
on their use as dooryard fruit trees and orna
mentals. In fact, the trend seems to be away
from grafted varieties, and some nurseries that
formerly propagated improved varieties now
grow only seedlings. This is as true in Cali
fornia as it is in Florida.
In view of this trend, our experience at the
Sub-Tropical Experiment Station should be of
interest. Since 1932, several hundred seedlings
have been grown. Many good selections have
been obtained from these seedlings, and it
has been found that the average seedling lo
quat is generally acceptable in quality to the
back-yard grower who eats a few fruit off the
tree each year but allows the rest to rot. For
those who are interested in cooking or preserv
ing the fruit, grafted varieties are essential.
In a recent evaluation of 76 seedling trees
growing in one of our windbreaks, 46 were
of fair or good quality. Probably none was
superior to varieties that have already been
named and propagated. Three of these seed
lings have been propagated for further evalua
tion and comparison with standard varieties.
Many standard varieties of loquat have been
tested by the Sub-Tropical Experiment Station.
In 1932, Advance. Champagne and Early Red
were obtained from the Coral Reef Nurseries.
Since this first planting, the following varieties
have been tested: Premier, Tanaka, Thales,
Oliver, Thursby, Gold Nugget, Christmas,
Sheny, Red Royal, Fletcher, and Seedless. In
1950 the Sub-Tropical Experiment Station se
lected three seedlings for propagation and they
were propagated under numbers. Of these,
only SES No. 4, a seedling of Advance, has
been propagated to any extent commercially.
Advance and Champagne have white or very
light yellow flesh. Both are of fairly good
quality and size. Advance produces heavier
crops than Champagne. Two other white flesh
ed varieties at the Sub-Tropical Experiment
Station are Thursby and SES No. 1. Thursby
has small fruit and has not yielded large crops.
SES No. 1 is about equal to Advance and
Champagne is desirable qualities.
Tanaka and Thales have often been con
sidered as the same variety. As grown at the
Sub-Tropical Station they are different. Thales
has larger leaves and a more erect growth
habit. The fruit from both is similar and in
ferior in quality. The fruit is small and orange
fleshed. The Tanaka variety is the most ir
regular in bearing habit of all varieties grown
at Homestead. It will often begin ripening fruit
in December and mature some fruit on through
April. In 1960 it produced a small crop in
August and September. The Christmas vari
ety was introduced as a variety which would
ripen veiy early, supposedly at Christmas
time. It doesn't always ripen this early, and in
1960 it was almost the last variety to ripen.
The fruit has orange flesh and is inferior in
quality. The Sherry variety and SES No. 4 are
yellow-fleshed, high quality, and very similar.
They both must be allowed to become fully
ripe before they are sweet. They ripen later
than most varieties. They are good for cook
ing.
The variety, Gold Nugget is said to be a
synonym of Thales. However, the Gold Nugget
at the Sub-Tropical Experiment Station is
different from both Tanaka and Thales. The
tree is much more upright and the fruit is
larger, rounder and later in ripening. The fruit
is tart when fully colored, and the tree is a shy
bearer. This variety cannot be recommend
ed for South Florida conditions.
The Oliver variety which was described by
Mrs. Krome in 1936 remains one of our
choicest varieties. It bears heavily and the fruit
is good to eat out of hand or cooked. Although
many people like the flavor of other varieties
better, the Oliver is propagated at present more
than any other variety in Dade County. It has
an orange colored flesh and ripens in mid-
season.
Among new varieties at the Sub-Tropical
Experiment Station, Fletcher and Red Royal
may show some promise. Both varieties have
very deep orange flesh though it is not a true
red. These will need further evaluation before
they can be compared with other varieties. A
so-called seedless variety has also been ob
tained but it has not yet produced a crop.
1. Krome, Mrs. I.
Proc. 49: 143-145.
REFERENCE
1936. Loquats. Fla. State Hort. Soc.
316 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1960
POPENOE: SUBTROPICAL FRUIT COMMITTEE 279
REPORT OF THE SUBTROPICAL FRUIT VARIETY
COMMITTEE, 1957
John Popenoe
Chairman
Miami
Three new varieties have been submitted
to the variety committee this year for regis
tration and description.
Mr. L. K. Thompson of Bartow submitted
a seedling loquat for registration under the
name of "Fletcher." This fruit is shown in
figure 2. The tree is a seedling about 30
years old in the yard of Mrs. George Fletcher
in Bartow, Florida. It is now about 40 feet
high. The value of this seedling is that the
fruit has a firm flesh and tough skin that
will hold up well for 2 weeks. The length is
1% inches and the width 1% inches. The shape
is obovate and plump; skin color orange red,
and the flesh is the same color as the skin.
The flavor is fair to good, and the fruit is
juicy. Up to five seeds are found in each
fruit. The fruit is borne in open clusters with
each fruit apart from the next one.
The committee has been asked to describe
the Tommy Atkins mango (figure 3). This
variety has been propagated for about ten
years, but has never been described. The
280 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1957
Topic: I have Tanaka, Champagne and Bradenton Loquats (Read 10887 times)