We fancy that many minds have become confused on this im- 

 portant question of stocks through a failure to identify the sour 

 orange of Florida. Now this sour orange, which is growing wild in 

 many parts of Florida, having been introduced probably during 

 the early Portuguese colonization, has been proved to be a certain 

 resistant stock against " mal de gorna " both in Florida and Cali- 

 fornia. It is not however the Bitter or Seville Orange but a distinct 

 variety, and in our opinion is very closely allied to a species of 

 rough lemon that we find growing in several parts of the Colony ; 

 some of our readers may know it, a rough coarse fruit with the 

 deep brilliant colour of a highly coloured orange and the full acid 

 flavour of the lemon, in fact, a lemon with the appearance of an 

 orange. 



IMPROVEMENT IN VARIETIES- 



A movement has been going on for the last forty years, never 

 however at any time with any great degree of spirit, to improve 

 the varieties of Citrus trees growing in Africa. The credit for 

 this movement we believe should belong entirely to the East, as 

 we know of 110 instance within our knowledge in the West where 

 any steps have been taken to bring in the newer and more 

 popular varieties. Eastern Nurserymen, particularly those 

 managing the several Botanical Gardens, have done most excellent 

 work in the field, so that to-day we find the new varieties in 

 Citrus fruits have been almost entirely disseminated by Easterners; 

 they being also introduced to the West from this source. 

 Among growers there is to-day considerable uncertainty as to 

 whether the right and proper thing is being done in discarding 

 seedlings for what are called " new varieties," arrived at by either 

 budding or grafting; we are very solid on this, and give below the 

 points in favour of the respective views. 



Those who favour the planting of seedlings will argue : 



1. That a seedling is hardier, more strong growing, and bears 

 bigger crops. This we will readily admit. 



2. The advocates of the budded tree will claim the fruit fetches 

 a higher price, and tree comes into bearing earlier. Also true. 



We give our verdict in favour of the newer varieties : 



Firstly. Because we consider the seedling tree planted on 

 good soil here grows so freely that when it becomes over 

 fifteen years of age, it is almost an impossibility to 

 eradicate the pests that affect it ; it grows to a size which 

 makes it very difficult to fumigate it, and it is much more 

 difficult to get at with a spray. Whereas a budded tree 

 takes a great length of time to attain the same size, even 

 if it will ever do so, we ourselves having never seen a 



