ic Auc-. fyit-] Citrus Fruit Culture. 519 



The Blood or Maltese grows well in some Victorian diiitricts. and is 

 novel on account of its red juice, although the flavour is poor. Seville is 

 the variety for marmalade, being of very bitter flavour. The fruit is 

 large and flattened in shape. Joppa and Jajfa oranges are only grown 

 localb. in small quantities, although they are imported in considerable 

 numbers from the Eastern Mediterranean ports. The fruits are large and 

 oval. Oonsliiii {Satsunia) is an orange that has come from Japan. Tt is 

 reputed to withstand frosts, but we have had little experience of it. 



Mandarins.— Mandarins are only grown in small quantities. The two 

 varieties generallv grown, and producing payable crops, are the TJicniv 

 and Emperor. Beauty of Glen Retreat, a Queensland ^-ariety. is 

 highlv spoken of as a heavy cropper and a fine fruit in that State. 



I.EMONS. — There is onlv one lemon to be grown — the l/ishou lemon. 

 All other varieties are poor and unacceptable, compared with this. The tree 

 is a good bearer, of strong constitution, with well-flavoured fruit. 



Eureka is popular in .some parts of California. It is thornless. and 

 a good keeper; but no experience of it is known in this State. Villa 

 Franca, a summer-bearing variety, and Lisbon Variegated are also grown, 

 but both bear verv inferior fruits. 



Citrons, Limes, and Shaddocks. — Citrons, limes, and shaddocks 

 also are included under the heading of citrus fruits. These are only 

 sparsely grown in Victoria, and there appears to be little demand for 

 them. Thev are u.sed for preserving, jams and marmalade, candied peel, 

 drinks. &:c. 



T'ropagatiom 

 The vduiig trees are propagated from .seeds, layrs, and cuttings. 

 Whilst layers and cuttings produce directh the \ariety without the opera 

 tion of budding, thev are often used as well for storks. It is supposed 

 by some growers that the Li.sbon lemf)n is far more hardy when grown from 

 layers than when worked on to stock. 



Seedlings arc usuallv grown for stock. th<' resultant variety being 

 budded on to these. The seeds should he saved from thoroughly ripe 

 fruit, or the fruits should be rotted, the .seed afterAvards being washed 

 anfl sift<"(l out. Oranges may be worked on to lemon stock and vice versa. 



Seeds should ncjt be saved indiscriminately. Seedlings grown from 

 sweet oranges usuallv produce .shallow-rooted trees. The reverse of this 

 is needed for citrus trees. Deep-rooting is required, and only such stock 

 as possess this requirement should be grown. The seedlings of the Seville, 

 or bitter orange, are the best for the purpose, as they root deeper than any 

 other. This is known in America as the Florida Sour Stock. Lemon seeds 

 ;ire rarely used for stock. 



.\nother seedling stock that is largely used in C;difornia is the Pomelo 

 or Grape Fruit {Citrus decumaua). This is a tree of the shaddock section, 

 and the fruit is quickly becoming popular in America. 



In saving seeds, they should never be allowed to become drv. It' not 

 planted at once, they should be jilaced in damp sand until required for 

 planting. The .seetls should be sown in spring ; and, when the seedlings 

 ;ire twelve months old, they should be placed in the nursery beds. After 

 being there for one or two vears. according to their growth, they may be 

 budded. The trees may be budded in sj)ring, summer, ot autumn, luit 

 lli<- late spring bmls will jirobably give best results. 



