AND GENERAL HOETICULTUKE. 



89 



CIT 



erenoe to the form of the seed vessel. Nat. 

 Ord OistaeecB. 



A genus of handsome shrubs, few of which 

 are in cultivation. They are natives of south- 

 ern and western Europe, north Africa, and 

 the Canary Islands. Some of the species are 

 elegant shrubs, having terminal flower stalks 

 bearing one or more flowers, resembling in 

 appearance those of the Dog Rose. They sel- 

 dom last more than a few hours after expand- 

 ing, and do not open except in sunny weather. 

 The flowers are either white or rose-colored, 

 with yellow or purplish marks at their base. 

 Some of the species furnish a gum that is used 

 in Turkey as a perfume and for fumigation ; 

 also supposed to be a specific for the plague. 

 Propagated by seeds, layers, or cuttings. 



Cithare'xylum. Fiddle-wood. From kithara, 

 a lyre, and xylon, wood ; in reference to the 

 supposed fitness of the wood for musical 

 instruments. Nat. Ord. VerbenacecB. 



A genus of tall-growing trees, common from 

 Florida to Brazil. It furnishes a hard, dur- 

 able wood, suited for various purposes in the 

 mechanic arts. Its supposed use in the man- 

 ufacture of musical instruments is a mistake. 

 One of the species is called by the French 

 Fidele, for its durability in building. The 

 English have corrupted the name to Fiddle- 

 wood, by which name it is popularly known. 



Citrinous. Lemon-colored. 



Citron. (Citrus medica.) This is by some sup- 

 posed to be the same species as the Lemon ; 

 it is a native of the forests of the north of 

 India, but is extensively cultivated in south- 

 ern Europe. In its wild state the tree grows 

 to the height of about eight feet, erect and 

 prickly, with long reclining branches, in gen- 

 eral appearance resembling the Lemon. The 

 fruit is from six to nine inches in length, 

 ovate, with a protuberance at the top. There 

 are two rinds, the outer thin, with innumera- 

 ble glands, full of a most fragrant oil; the 

 inner thick, white and fungous ; it is this inner 

 rind which is preserved and much used in 

 confections, cake, etc. 



Citrone'lla. Oil Plant. Andropogon eitratum. 



Cltru'IIus. From Citrus, in allusion to the 

 Orange-like fruits. Nat. Ord. CucwrbitacecB. 



A small genus of trailing annual or peren- 

 nial herbs. C. colocynthis furnishes the cathar- 

 tic drug Golooynth, or. Bitter Apple. C. vul- 

 garia is the well-known Water Melon, which 

 see. 



Ci'trus. Orange Tree. Derivation of name 

 unknown. Supposed to refer to Citron, a town 

 in Judea. Nat. Ord. Rutacew. 



The genus Citrus includes the Orange, 

 Lemon, Lime, Citron, Shaddock, etc., all well 

 deserving cultivation, both for their fiowers 

 and their fruit, but of which only a few kinds 

 of Oranges and Lemons are generally grown. 

 When grown for ornamental purposes in 

 green-house or rooms, they all thrive well In 

 a mixture of rich loam with a little rotted 

 dung ; but great care is necessary not to over- 

 pot them, or give them too much water when 

 not in a growing state. The different species 

 and varieties are generally propagated by bud- 

 ding, grafting and inarching on the common 

 Lemon, which grows readily from seed. 

 Oranges are also frequently raised from seed ; 

 but unless they are budded or grafted when 



CLA 



about two years old, it will be many years 

 before they flower. Orange Trees may also 

 be propagated by cuttings, which are best 

 from the old wood, struck In sand in a gentle 

 bottom heat, and shaded. Plants raised in 

 this manner flower and fruit much sooner than 

 any others, but they scarcely ever attain a 

 large size. Both the Orange and Lemon are 

 such favorites in this country that scarcely a 

 cottage, where a flower-pot or tub can be put 

 into requisition. Is without one or the other 

 of these plants. When placed in unsuitable 

 soil and carelessly watered, they seldom 

 remain long in a good state of health. When 

 they become sickly and yellow they should be 

 turned out of the pots, a large portion of the 

 old soil should be shaken from the roots, and 

 they should be repotted in a mixture of fine 

 loamy soil and rotted manure, with about one- 

 fourth of charcoal dust, or powdered charcoal. 

 There are numerous varieties of Oranges and 

 Lemons grown for the fruit. Our markets 

 were formerly supplied from the south of 

 ' Europe, the Azores and the West Indies. 

 Until within a few years the "Havana" was 

 the most highly esteemed, but the Florida 

 Orange is now the leading variety in the mar- 

 kets. The cultivation of the Orange in Flor- 

 ida commenced previous to 1820, but was 

 carried on only to a limited extent for 

 some years thereafter. From 1830 to 1835 

 many large groves were planted, nearty all of 

 which were destroyed by the extraordinary 

 frost of the latter year. The previous year 

 there were trees at St. Augustine that pro- 

 duced each 14,000 oranges — a handsome rev- 

 enue from a single tree. The dreaded effeuts 

 of a frost almost entirely discouraged further 

 plantings for a number of years. The culti- 

 vation of the Orange is now attracting greater 

 attention in Florida than ever before. The 

 Indian River country abounds in plantations 

 that are yielding large and profltable crops. 

 Some of the more scientific growers, from 

 careful experiments and close observation, 

 hold the opinion that frosts as severe as those 

 of 1835 will not injure the trees if the precau- 

 tion be taken to shade the trunks from the 

 sun a short time, until the circulation of the 

 sap is fully restored. Lemons, Limes and 

 Shaddocks are also largely grown In Florida. 

 In some parts of Texas and in California the 

 cultivation of these fruits is being rapidly 

 extended. 

 Cladra'stia Yellow Wood. Name of obscure 

 derivation. Nat. Ord. Legvminosm. 



This genus includes several species, none of 

 which are of special interest, excepting C. 

 tinctoria better known, perhaps, as Virgilia 

 hUea, a native species indigenous in eastern 

 Kentucky and southward. It is a small and 

 handsome tree, with a compact, broadly 

 rounded head, leaves compound like those of 

 the Locust, of a light, pleasing green color, 

 changing in autumn to a warm yellow. The 

 flowers appear in June in pendulous racemes of 

 great beauty, pea-shaped, white and fragrant, 

 and are produced in such profusion as almost 

 to clothe the tree, making it a beautiful object 

 for the lawn. It is perfectly hardy, though of 

 slow growth, and commences to flower when 

 only a small shrub. Propagated by cuttings 

 of the roots or by seeds. G. amurensia, the 

 East Indian representative of the foregoing, 

 is a tree reaching the height of forty feet, 



