CHAPTER XXVI. 

 PROPAGATION OF CITRUS TREES. 



Citrus trees may be propagated by budding, by graft- 

 ing, by seeds, by cutting or by layering. The last men- 

 tioned method is little used, except for the citron, and in 

 America it is scarcely ever resorted to as a means for mul- 

 tiplying that tree. Budding is by far the most common 

 method in all citrus districts. Seedling trees are not 

 planted in such numbers as they formerly were. Fifty 

 years or so ago, and even not so far back, it was the rule 

 to plant seedling citrus trees, now it is the exception. The 

 beginning of any tree fruit industry is usually marked by 

 the planting of seedling trees. Budded or grafted trees 

 represent adaptation to new conditions, divergence, spe- 

 cialization, progress. The planting of seeds as a method of 

 propagation should not be entirely discountenanced, how- 

 ever. The seedling groves of Florida and other citrus dis- 

 tricts of America produce good fruit in abundance and 

 from them have been selected many of the prominent var- 

 ieties now so commonly planted. This is one of the reasons 

 why seedling trees should not be condemned and the plant- 

 ing of seeds for the purpose of originating new varieties 

 is certainly commendable. But better results can probably 

 be obtained by cross-fertilization of existing varieties as 

 well as species. 



Seedling trees may be depended upon to give fruit of 

 good quality, but since they are not produced true to the 

 variety from which the seed was obtained, they may not 

 be prolific, the fruit may be undersized, or undesirable for 

 some other reason. Generally, however, the fruit is good, 



