THE LIME. 651 



freshing, and the demand for it is constantly increasing. It is 

 wonderfully productive. Sixteen barrels of fruit have been 

 gathered from a tree twenty-five years old. 



Until quite lately but little attention was paid to the 

 grape-fruit, specimen trees of which were found here and 

 there, mostly seedlings not greatly varying from each other, 

 except where accidental crossing with the orange had de- 

 veloped some distinctive qualities. Perhaps the best is 

 Mays' Pomelo. 



Varieties. 

 Aurantium, Royal, Leonardy, and Triumph are much like Mays, 



Marsh. Recommended as having few seeds, which, in a fruit so 

 full of seeds, is an obvious advantage. 



Mays. Was growing as an old tree, at the home of Dr. Mays, 

 Orange Mills, Florida, at the close of the civil war. Has always 

 taken premiums over others wherever exhibited. Shows slight 

 admixture of orange. Flavor unusually sweet and delicious, 

 with but little of the bitter principle. 



THE LIME. 



The Lime (C acida) is generally considered to be remotely 

 allied to the citron, but- may be, as we know it, a modi- 

 fied and improved form of the wild lime {C. hystrix) of 

 India or the Malay Islands. Though classed as a shrub, in a 

 favorable climate and with room to expand it forms a small 

 tree. Being the most tender of the family and nearly always 

 in a growing state, it is easily killed down by frost, but never 

 fails to spring up again vigorously. It is very thorny, and 

 when closely planted forms an admirable and impenetrable 

 hedge, always full of fruit and so robust as to need little care. 

 The flowers are small and entirely white ; color of fruit pale 

 yellow, resembling a lemon. The skin is thin; pulp light 

 green and filled to bursting with a very sharp acid juice, better 

 for most purposes than that of a lemon and used in preference 

 by people in the tropics. The peel, however, lacks the mild 

 fragrance of the lemon, which, together with the better keep- 

 ing qualities of the latter, accounts for its greater estimation 

 in countries where these fruits do not grow. Still, when care- 

 fully handled, with our present rapid transportation, is bears 



