CITRUS FRUITS ] 21 



tree is that of a shaddock and the appearance of the fruit 

 is that of a full-sized oblong shaddock, but the foliage, 

 the colour of the blossoms and the pulp and juice of the 

 fruit are those of a lemon. From a commercial standpoint 

 the most important hybrids of comparatively recent 

 origin are the grape-fruits or pomelos raised in America, 

 which seem to be a direct descendant of the shaddock, 

 but with smaller fruits, round or egg-shaped according to 

 the variety, with smaller leaves like those of an orange, 

 and with a colourless pulp and juice like that of a lemon, 

 with a pleasant bitterish taste. 



Citrus fruits have been classified, in a popular way 

 (E. Ferrari, U Agrumicoltura), into fruits with an orange- 

 red peel {agrumi a pigmento rosso}, and fruits with a yellow 

 peel (agrww a pigment o giallo) ; but this classification is 

 decidedly inaccurate, as there are citrons and lemons 

 with an orange-red peel, and bergamots (melarosa) with 

 a reddish-yellow peel, as well as true oranges with a 

 decidedly yellow peel or even with a cream-coloured 

 peel. A better classification may be based on the colour 

 of the blossoms, all true lemons and citrons producing 

 blossoms with the petals tinted purplish red on the 

 outside, and the young twigs and foliage are more or less 

 purplish red, while all limes, bergamots, mandarins, 

 oranges and shaddocks have pure white flowers. The 

 value of this distinction will be found of real practical 

 assistance in the classification of hybrids or varieties of 

 doubtful parentage. 



Citrus trees can be propagated by seed, layers or 

 cuttings, but by far the best method of propagation is 

 by budding or grafting. In these Islands the only Citrus 

 tree propagated directly by seed is the common Seville 

 or Bitter Orange (Citrus Bigaradia) which comes true 

 from seed or at least ig not liable to considerable 

 variation, but all special forms or varieties of the Seville 

 orange are propagated by budding or seedlings of the 

 common type. Seedling lemons, mandarines and oranges 



