CITRUS FRUITS ] 23 



to make good against failures. Small cuttings made of 

 ripened wood, with two or three leaves attached, root 

 easily if planted early in summer in ordinary garden soil, 

 in small pots, and placed under a hand-glass, or in a 

 garden frame or greenhouse. In about six weeks they 

 can be transferred to the open air in a shady corner of 

 the garden. 



Our gardeners occasionally propagate the lemon 

 tree by layers, when seedlings of the bitter .orange are 

 not available as budding stock ; but all citrus trees 

 can be propagated in this way. The layers are made 

 early in spring and are watered regularly throughout 

 the summer. Layers, of which the part under ground 

 is not more than three years old, are preferred, but 

 no particular system is followed in layering beyond 

 bruising the interred stem to facilitate the formation of 

 roots, and a heavy stone is placed on the soil above 

 the layered branch in order to keep it down firmly and 

 to prevent all movements by the wind. The layers as 

 a rule are sufficiently well rooted at the end of a year, 

 to be severed from the mother-plant, and to bear 

 transplanting to their final destination, but they are 

 often allowed to remain for two years or more to develop 

 a strong root-system before shifting them. Citrus trees 

 raised by layers are often weakly and misshapen, and 

 present the same disadvantages as those grown from 

 cuttings. 



There is no doubt that the most satisfactory way of 

 propagating citrus trees on a large scale is to bud them 

 on seedlings of the bitter or Seville Orange. The pips 

 or seeds of the bitter orange are sown in March or April, 

 at once on removal from the fruit or soon afterwards, as 

 their germinating power is impaired if kept in a dry 

 condition, even for a few weeks. The seed-bed should 

 be made in a sunny situation, and the soil properly 

 tilled and well manured, and afterwards kept quite free 

 from weeds. The seeds germinate in April or May, 



