100 CALIFORNIA CITRUS CULTURE. 
the size and excellence of the lemon, yet when at its best it is. no 
mean fruit. The stem is winged but not as broadly as is the sweet 
orange and pomelo. The pulp is very sour and has a tinge of bitter 
which pleases the taste of many. Limeade, with many, is a favorite 
beverage. The lime has escaped from cultivation in Florida and the 
West Indies and has run wild. Some varieties lack not for size and 
some have less pronounced thorns and a less number of seeds. At the 
Oroville Show a year ago I saw very large limes that were apparently 
seedless. Of the several varieties the Imperial, Mexican and Tahiti 
are praised. While the lime bears severe pruning and can be fashioned. 
into a hedge, it will hardly meet the competition of the lemon and will 
be but little grown in California. 
CITRUS BY-PRODUCTS. 
In Sicily the inferior and injured lemons, and to a less degree the: 
oranges, are used for by-products. In case there is a great demand 
for fruit, the best of this inferior fruit is often diverted to the markets. 
Citrate of Lime. 
Citrate of lime is one of the most important of these by-products. 
The concentrated lemon juice is pressed from the lemon, warmed, 
filtered, then heated nearly to the boiling point, when finely powdered 
chalk is gradually added, being constantly stirred, and when effer- 
vescence has ceased we have citrate of lime as the result. By adding 
dilute sulphuric acid to this salt a chemical change produces gypsum 
(sulphate of lime) and citric acid. The process of this manufacture 
is simple and the necessary equipment limited and cheap. There is no 
reason why the growers might not produce this product, except that 
possibly it would not pay. 
Concentrated Lime Juice. 
Lemon juice, as it is pressed from the fruit, is a valued article of 
commerce. By boiling carefully it is concentrated and is then ready to 
ship. Only inferior fruit is used for this purpose, especially that which 
is punctured or bruised. Orange juice or orangeade is also a valuable 
product. 
Oil of Lemons. 
This essence consists of spirits of wine to which oil from the oil cells 
of the lemon peel is added. The fresh peel is soaked, then pressed 
against a sponge, which absorbs the oil. Only inferior fruit is used, 
though it must be fresh and sound. 
