Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lsuc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!lsuc!msb
From: msb@lsuc.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Grapefruit
Message-ID: <535@lsuc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 23-Mar-85 01:00:34 EST
Article-I.D.: lsuc.535
Posted: Sat Mar 23 01:00:34 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Mar-85 01:47:40 EST
References: <1186@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: msb@lsuc.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Organization: Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto
Lines: 19
Summary: Comment on contradictory postings


Several people have posted the suggestion that the grapefruit is so
called because it grows in bunches.  This is supported, though without
positive certainty in each case, by the Oxford English Dictionary (supplement,
quoting the Westminster Gazette), the Random House Dictionary (unabridged),
and Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia (6th ed., entry "citrus").

I would say that that settled the matter, except for one thing.

There have also been one or two postings -- and I received a detailed letter
-- from people who have personal experience with grapefruit trees, and THEY
say that the fruits do NOT grow in bunches.

Could this, however, just be the effect of modern agriculture?  Perhaps
the non-bunching grapefruit is an innovation that has been selected because,
say, it makes for larger fruit.  I don't know.  Any expert comment?
(Non-expert comment to /dev/null, I think.)

Mark Brader