n 6 Oranges and Lemons of India. 



largely propagated by budding, and is one of the best 

 varieties they have in Lucknow. 



Both in Nagpore and in Gujranwala they bud on 

 the stock of the sweet lemon (mitha nimboo, or 

 sherbetee]. The Nagpore orange is the best flavoured 

 of the suntara type, and the Gujranwala blood orange 

 the best of the Malta type. It is perfect. There is, 

 therefore, reason to believe that the stock on which 

 the bud or graft is inserted may have some influence 

 on it, and so modify to some extent the flavour of its 

 fruit. It is a point well worthy of attention in Govern- 

 ment experimental gardens. If confirmed by further 

 experiments, the sweet lemon stock might become the 

 stock for all sweet oranges, while the khatta or sour 

 orange might be used solely for all sour oranges, 

 lemons, and limes. Probably even the Pummelo might 

 be much sweetened and improved by budding on the 

 sweet lemon. 



The reason the khatta stock is so universally 

 used is that the seeds germinate well and produce 

 strong, hardy plants, which make rapid growth. The 

 malis in Lucknow state that the khatta seed 

 germinates better if taken from the unripe fruit about 

 August. It certainly germinates then, but I fancy the 

 reason is that August is warm, and the winter, when 

 the khatta is ripe, is cold. Of a large number of 

 Citrus seeds of all kinds, from various parts of India, 

 sown in the winter, very few germinated till February 

 and March, when they came up by hundreds. 



I do not see why layering the Citrus is not prac- 

 tised. It would give strong, healthy trees on their 

 own roots. If layered in the beginning of the rains, 

 rooted layers would be obtained before the end of the 

 rains, while at least two years are required to raise 

 stock/ bud it, and make plants fit for planting out ; 



