CHAPTER XXIX. 



Stocks for Budding and Grafting. 



Stocks of seedling orange, lemon, lime, and in some instances 

 citron are used on which to bud or graft the orange. Budding 

 and grafting, being an innovation on the system of culture of the 

 past, are yet in their infancy. It was found in the earlier experi- 

 ments here that the lemon root, as a stock for the orange, was 

 susceptible of rapid and vigorous growth. This was more par- 

 ticularly noticeable in the growth produced by the China lemon 

 root. Buds inserted in stocks of this kind made not only an 

 extraordinary growth, but soon manifested a disposition to blos- 

 som and fruit. The fruit of an orange tree on lemon or lime 

 roots is usually large of its variety. It is thought by experts, 

 however, that the fruit is comparatively coarse, is somewhat in- 

 clined to be spongy, and develops an acid flavor so strong and 

 pungent as to be unworthy of recommendation. 



It has been found that lemon and lime roots are more fre- 

 quently and fatally affected with gum disease, spoken of under 

 its appropriate head, than orange roots. Large numbers of 

 lemons on their own roots, and oranges on lemon roots, have 

 become diseased within the last few years, premature death 

 being the result. The mortality is so great in orchards and 

 nurseries worked on these stocks, they are in almost universal 

 disfavor at the present time, and have been generally condemned 

 both by individuals and societies. If lemon be used under any 

 circumstances, it should be the China lemon, as this is certainly 

 the most healthful and durable of any of its type. The lime 

 root is used to a limited extent. Like the China lemon root, it 

 induced a strong and rapid growth and a tendency to fruit early. 

 It is, unfortunately, quite susceptible to the gum disease, as pre- 



