Earliness of fruit maturity is influenced to some extent by tree density. Data on fruit maturity taken during two successive years from close and widely spaced Washington Navel orange trees on Troyer citrange root-stock showed that maturity, as expressed by the solids/acid ratio, was reached earlier by fruit from widely spaced trees, than from trees which were more closely spaced. Rind color also developed sooner and was more intense in fruit from widely spaced trees.

Superior Farming of Bakersfield, California, cooperated in providing trees on which this test was conducted.