Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations


 Increase in the number of trees per acre resulted in lower
juice content of the fruit and no significant change in soluble
solids, but higher acid content and consequently lower Brix/
acid ratio. Exception to the trend was seen in the juice content
of fruit from groves planted between 76 and 85 trees per acre,
but because of the small number (six) of samples involved, the
values may not be entirely representative. The intensity of
light may have influenced the juice and acid contents of the
fruits. In closely planted groves the crowding of the canopy
results in less exposure of foliage and fruit to light. Trends
in fruit quality noted in comparing open groves with close set
groves parallel the trends noted in comparing fruit from the out-
side of a tree's foliage with fruit from the interior of the
tree (14).
 The nitrogen and phosphorus contents in fruit were the only
elements affected by different planting distance. Even in these
two elements the magnitude of variation is rather small. The
pattern of variation, if it can be explained on the basis of ex-
posure to light, is in accordance with that reported by Koo and
Sites (7).
 INFLUENCE OF FERTILIZATION PRACTICES
 Fruit Production.-Nitrogen was the only element directly
related to fruit production (Table 14). Increase in the quantity
of nitrogen applied was accompanied by increase in fruit pro-
duction, but the relationship was not linear. Increase in yield
became proportionally smaller as more nitrogen was added.

 TABLE 14.-THE RELATION OF RATES OF NITROGEN APPLICATION TO
 FRUIT PRODUCTION OF VALENCIA ORANGE.

 Nitrogen Yield Nitrogen
Range Average Groves Range Average Applied

 Pounds/Acre/Year No. Boxes/Acre Lbs./Box
 67-150 133 10 166-488 328 0.40
 151-200 176 44 232-518 385 0.46
 201-250 225 47 239-616 400 0.56
 251-300 271 21 278-618 429 0.63
 301-350 318 13 245-615 434 0.74
 351-488 402 4 377-734 541 0.74