6 LIMITATION OF SATSUMA OKANGE. 



Although the Trifohate is naturally a small tree and of slow 

 growth, when used as a stock its growth is so stimulated that its 

 diameter always continues greater than that of the scion. This 

 disparity in size, while not sufficient to make the union a poor one, 

 makes it easy in walking through a grove of citrus fruits budded on 

 this stock to detect the point of union of the scion with the stock 

 because of the abrupt increase in diameter of the latter.'^ 



The Trifoliate-orange stock has one disadvantage in comparison 

 with sour-orange, sweet-orange, and other commonly used stocks — 

 it does not sprout readily from the root if the top is killed by a 

 severe frost. For this reason varieties grafted on Trifoliate roots and 

 grown where there is danger of occasional severe freezes should always 

 be earthed up a few inches above the point of insertion of the bud, so 

 that in case the top is killed by a severe freeze the budded variety can 

 be reproduced by sprouts issuing from that part of the trunk which 

 is protected by the earth. If this precaution is neglected there is 

 danger of orange trees grafted on Trifoliate stock being killed out- 

 right, root^ and branch, by an unusually severe winter. 



THE KUMQTJAT SUCCEEDS BEST ON TRIFOLIATE-ORANGE STOCK. 



There are very few varieties of citrus fruits that do not succeed on 

 the Trifoliate stock, provided, always, the soil is adapted to the stock. 

 Some varieties succeed better on this stock than on any otiier. Per- 

 haps the most striking example of this is the kumquat, which is the 

 hardiest of the evergreen citrus fruits. On Trifoliate stock it bears 

 heavy crops of fruit while still a mere bush. 



On the other hand, the kumquat is not adapted for budding on sour- 

 orange stock, and such buds often fail to grow, or even die, after they 

 have started to push, something very rare among citrus fruits.'^ 



THE SATSUMA ORANGE A FAILURE ON SOUR-ORANGE STOCK. 



Another variety of citrus fruits that behaves very differently on 

 the various stocks is the Satsuma, a very early orange of the mandarin 

 class introduced from Japan, where it is known as the Unshiu. This 

 variety, which is the earliest and at the same time one of the hardiest 



a This form of union wherein the stock slightly outgrows the scion has been noticed 

 also in the case of the loquat grafted on the quince growing at Eustis, Fla. In this 

 case, also, the variety so grafted began to bear when still very young and has borne 

 abundant crops since. It is interesting to note that in both of these cases we have a 

 large-leaved evergreen plant grafted on a small-leaved deciduous and not very closely 

 related species. The contrary union, where the scion outgrows decidedly the stock, 

 is apparently not satisfactory, the scion being likely to break off and being usually 

 short lived, even when it escapes being broken off. 



- h The Trifoliate root, strictly speaking, is not killed outright, but as it ]>roduces no 

 sprouts it soon dies from starvation. 



c For these facts the writer is indebted to Mr. Q. L. Tabor, of (ileu St. Mary, Fla. 



[Cir. 40] 



