334 THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
CITRUS (from the Greek name, Kitron). Orange-tree. 
ORD. Rutacew. Greenhouse evergreen trees or shrubs, 
having axillary spines and simple leaves, with their petioles 
usually winged. Flowers white, exquisitely fra- 
_ grant. Some plants of the Citrus family are found 
in most gardens. The flowers are produced at all 
seasons, and are much used for wedding bouquets. 
The leaves are of a glossy green colour; and even 
the non-flowering plants have a fine appearance. 
The soil used when cultivating in pots or tubs 
ee 
liberal portion of decayed manure and sand has 
been added. During the growing season, some 
liquid manure should be regularly supplied; but, 
as soon as growth declines, this should be gra- 
kept up during the season of growth, as one approaching 
drought causes the plants to have a starved and stunted 
appearance. In potting, the soil should be rammed firmly, 
or the wood will be too soft and sappy to ripen properly. 
If grown in a greenhouse, the heat must not be less than 
45deg. in winter; and in summer, of course, it will vary, 
the ordinary temperature, with plenty of air at all times, 
being suitable. Propagation may be effected by seed, 
cuttings, layers, grafting and budding. The object of 
raising plants from seed is to obtain stocks for graft- 
plant separately into pots, after which they must Ё 
replaced in the hotbed, and shaded for some. tin | 
afterwards allowed plenty of air, in order io Mili 
them. In August of the next year, they will be sufi- 
ciently strong for budding; after the operation has been 
performed, they should be placed under a hand glass. 
In the course of a month, it will be observable whether 
the buds have taken; they must then be untied, and 
allowed io remain in the greenhouse all the winter. In 
spring, eut off the heads of the stocks, 3in. above the 
buds, again place them in а moderate hotbed, and by the 
end of July they will have made shoots 2ft. long. Then 
harden them off before the cold sets in, by gradual ex- 
posure to the air. Of most of the following species there 
are a great number of varieties, more or less distinct. У 
For cultivation of Citrus аз a dessert fruit, see Orange. 
Fic, 461. FRUITING BRANCH OF SHADDOCK (CITRUS DUO 
эле A 
Fic. 462. FRUITING BRANCH ОР KUMQUAT (CITRUS JAPONICA). 
should be a moderately heavy loam, to which a` 
dually stopped. A moist atmosphere should be 
ing or budding. The seedlings should be raised on @ 
hotbed; in the course of six weeks, they will be fit to — 
