LIMITATION OF SATSUMA ORANGE. 5 



This was introduceil into this country by the J)ci)artment of Agri- 

 culture in 1869 and was at first little more than a botanical curiosity. 

 It was soon found to be an excellent hedge plant in the South, and 

 even as far north as Washington, D. C, and for many years it was 

 grown for tliis purpose. The fact that it is able to withstand without 

 injury temperatures as low as zero Fahrenheit, or even lower, makes 

 it suitable for culture over nearly half the area of the United States. 

 Those forms of the Trifoliate orange which have fully developed 

 flowers are handsome ornamentals, especially when the}' blossom in 

 the spring and again when laden with fragrant yellow fruit in the 

 autumn. Unfortunately many of the Trifoliate orange trees grown 

 in this country do not develop their flowers perfectly, or, at least, not 

 all of their flowers, the petals being stunted and shortened by gland- 

 like growths on the edges near the base. The flowers are shown 

 natural size in Plate I. A fruiting branch is shown in figure 1 , and 

 fruits in cross section and in longitudinal section in figures 2 and 3. 



Fig. 2.— Cross section of a fruit of the Fia. 3.— Longitudinal section of a 



Trifoliate orange. fruit of the Trifoliate orange. 



(Natural size. ) ( Natural size. ) 



It would be very easy, however, to breed up a large-flowered race of 

 the Trifoliate orange that could be propagated very rapidly and 

 cheaplv from the superabundant seeds that fill the fruits. 



The Trifoliate orange has been used for ages in China and Japan as 

 a stock upon which to bud the cultivated citrus fruits, and about the 

 middle of the last century it was brought to notice in England as a 

 stock for the kumquat. This latter species itself was, however, 

 only a curiosity, and apparently very few experiments were made in 

 Europe with the Trifoliate orange as a stock for oranges, lemons, and 

 other common citrus fruits. 



About a quarter of a centur}' ago the Trifoliate orange began to be 

 used in this country as a stock for the Satsuma orange, as well as for 

 other citrus fruits. It was found that all grow well on this stock, and 

 that it had a tendency to force early and profuse bearing, at the 

 same time dwarfing the tree somewhat. 



[Cir. 46] 



