262 THE CHIEF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL CROPS 



introduced to the trade some years ago under the name 

 of Royal. It is still listed in the nursery catalogues, 

 but it does not seem to have attracted much atten- 

 tion and is not widely planted. Other kinds of this 

 class are locally just beginning to receive attention. 

 In the Isle of Pines, in particular, one has been 

 selected and planted which is being very favorably 

 received in the market, and it seems probable that 

 these " sweet grape fruit " will soon find a recognized 

 place in the markets by the side of the ordinary 

 bitter ones. 



Lemons QCitrus Limonuni). — The lemon will not 

 bear as much cold as the orange, so that its cultiva- 

 tion is confined to regions that are practically free 

 from frosts. Although closely related to the orange, 

 the tree is of somewhat different habit and requires 

 much more pruning to keep it in productive condi- 

 tion. It has also more of a continuous bearing 

 habit, ripe fruit, half-grown fruit, and flowers being 

 frequently found on the tree at the same time, which, 

 contrary to popular belief, is rarely the case with the 

 orange. It grows and bears well in south Florida, 

 as also in the West Indies, but so far the lemon in- 

 dustry has attained no commercial importance in 

 these regions, largely on account of the difficulty 

 that has been found in curing them so that they will 

 keep well, and thus be able to compete with the 

 foreign and California product. Lemons have to be 

 picked green and then house ripened or cured. 

 Some large plantings are now being made in Cuba, 

 and an earnest attempt will doubtless be made to 

 solve this difficulty. The Villa Franca is the princi- 



