174 



so far, come to my knowledge. Of the common Lemon, Gallesio says, 

 " It is reproduced constantly from the seed, and its peculiarities are per- 

 petuated to its descendants." When Lemons are grown in Florida for 

 commercial purposes they are almost invariably budded to improved va- 

 rieties. In Ecuador and Haifa (Asia) they are reported as commonly 

 propagated from seeds. * 



Lime (Citrus limetta or C. medica acida). 



The common Lime also is reproduced constantly from the seed, com- 

 monly, if not invariably, transmitting its peculiarities to its decendants. 

 In the extreme southern part of Florida and on the Florida Keys, thickets 

 of seedling Limes escaped from cultivation have sprung up in waste 

 places, and these, so far as I have been able to learn from inquiry and 

 personal examination, invariably produce fruit of about the same charac- 

 ter. In this section, where Limes are grown quite commonly, they are 

 mostly propagated from the seed. Professor Lelong says : " The Lime 

 comes true from the seed, the seed ' sport' only in exceptional cases."f 



Mandarin Oranges (Citrus nobilis). 



The principal varieties or sub-species of the Mandarin Oranges culti- 

 vated in Florida are those known as the China (commonly called " Man- 

 darin"), Tangierine, King, and 8atsuma. Of these the China and Tan- 

 gierine varieties are not unfrequently propagated from the seed, and usually 

 produce fruit true to the parent variety with but slight variation. In all 

 cases , so far as I can 1 earn, fruit of a characteristic M andarin type is produced 

 Seeds of the China (" Mandarin") reproduce the China variety with slight 

 variation, but are said by some growers not to be so desirable for market, 

 owing to a tendency to form an elongation of the rind at the calyx, 

 which makes them awkward to pack. They also do not average equal in 

 flavour to the selected budded fruit. One very intelligent and critical 

 grower tells me that seeds from the China frequently produce Tan- 

 gierines. I have had no opportunity to verify this statement. Tan- 

 gierine seedlings reproduce fruit the same or but slightly different from 

 the parent r lhe Tangierine most commonly propagated here is a se- 

 lected seedling known as the lJancv Tangierine. The Satsuma and 

 King are also reproduced true by the seed. 



Kumquat (Citrus japonica). 



Two varieti s of this species, one with elliptical fruit and the other 

 with round fruit, have been introduced into Florida, and are grown to 

 some extent I have eaten the fruit from several seedling trees, and 

 find it to be the same comparative!}' as that from the budded trees. 

 The owner of these assured me that they produced fruit the same as 

 that irom which the seed was taken. 



Trifoliate Orange (Citrus trifoliata). 



This Orange, the fruit of which is not used, has not been changed 

 materially by cultivation and selection. It invariably reproduces seed- 

 lings having the same characteristics, so far as can be observed. I have 



*" Fruit Culture in Foreign Countries," in Special Consular Reports, Wash- 

 ington, 1890. 



fLelong, B. M., " Propagation, Budding, Grafting, and Appliances." Ann* 

 Eejj. Cal. State Board of Horticulture for 1891, p. 148. 



