By Flores                                             H.R. No. 1381

         75R17584 JTR-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Red Grapefruit is one of the Lone Star State's

 1-2     best-known symbols, and its importance to the state's economy and

 1-3     culture is reflected in its designation as the Official State Fruit

 1-4     of Texas; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, Nestled deep in the state's famous citrus-growing

 1-6     region, the city of Mission has long been associated with the

 1-7     production of world-class citrus fruit and grapefruit in

 1-8     particular, and the city's close identification with these crops is

 1-9     aptly expressed by the popular annual event known as the Citrus

1-10     Fiesta; and

1-11           WHEREAS, In 1914, the state's first commercial citrus trees

1-12     were planted in the Mission area, and since that time this industry

1-13     has become a crucial component of the Texan presence in the world

1-14     marketplace; and

1-15           WHEREAS, Mission's preeminence as a citrus capital has been

1-16     widely acknowledged for many years, and in 1950 Governor Allan

1-17     Shivers referred to the city as the "Home of the Grapefruit" in an

1-18     official proclamation; and

1-19           WHEREAS, Even as skilled agriculturalists have taken

1-20     advantage of the region's rich soil and ideal climate to perfect

1-21     the Red Grapefruit's distinctive flavor and enticing appearance, so

1-22     has this delicious fruit achieved its current stature as both a

1-23     mainstay of the Mission economy and a fitting symbol of the city;

1-24     now, therefore, be it

 2-1           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 2-2     Legislature hereby officially designate Mission the Home of the

 2-3     Grapefruit; and, be it further

 2-4           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

 2-5     prepared for display in the city of Mission as an expression of

 2-6     high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.