The introduction of the Lue Gim Gong Orange marked “the beginning of a new era in late Orange culture” for the Glen Saint Mary Nurseries Company and for the orange industry in the United States 1 This hardy variety is a “late orange, somewhat like the Valencia, but even later in maturing… The fruit itself is also said to have stood a lower degree of freezing than the Valencia or other ordinary sweet oranges.” 2 Taber recognized the value of this orange; he wrote that “it has stood the cold for years past better than any other variety in the grove, and has passed through several cold snaps practically without injury.” 3 This orange was designed to help nurserymen keep their businesses running despite dangerous freezes. Because of its promising durability, the American Pomological Society, one of the most renowned horticultural organizations in the U.S. at the time, presented the Lue Gim Gong Orange with a Wilder medal, deeming it “one of the most valuable citrus fruits that has ever been introduced.” 4
