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grown, the seeds should be taken from selected seedling trees known 

 to produce good fruit and which are isolated from citrus trees of other 

 varieties or species. Such selection would prevent the probability of 

 obtaining seeds affected by crossing or hybridizing with other varieties 

 and make it reasonably sure that seedling trees producing good fruit 

 would be obtained. Pomelos, lemons, limes, citrons, kumquats, and 

 the various other species of citrus fruits are almost invariably produced 

 true by the seed, as in the case of the orange, that is, pomelos produce 

 .pomelos, lemons produce lemons, etc. Like other fruit trees, however, 

 the different varieties of the fruits named do not reproduce themselves 

 tiue from the seed. Seedling pomelo, or grape fruit, trees are quite 

 common in Florida. The varieties, however, have not been so much 

 improved as in the case of the orange, and as yet there is but little 

 difference between the fruit of seedlings and that of the best named 

 varieties. Tne principal varieties or subspecies of mandarin oranges 

 cultivated in Florida, known as the China (commonly called Mandarin) 

 Tangerine, King, and Satsuma, are not infrequently propagated by the 

 seed, and with but sli ^ht variation they commonly reproduce true ta 

 the parent variety. However, they seldom average equal in flavour to 

 the selected varieties, which must be budded, as they are not repro- 

 duced true by the seed. Seedlings of the China are snid to show a 

 tendency to form an elongation of the rind at the stem, which makes 

 them awkward to pack. In all cases where seedlings are to be used 

 the greatest care should be exercised to select seed from isolated trees 

 known to ufiiformly produce good fruit. 



The Seed Bed. 



The seeds used for planting should in all cases be selected from fully 

 grown normal fruit taken from vigorous, healthy trees. In this case, 

 as in others, it is important that the seed should be good in order to 

 secure vigorous seedlings. The method of extracting the seeds from 

 the fruit most commonly followed by nurserymen and those planting 

 on an extensive scale is to cut the orange in half and squeeze the 

 seeds out into a receptacle. Sometimes the entire fruits are thrown into 

 barrels and allowed to decay, after which the seeds are separated by 

 washing in a coarse sieve, which allows the pulp to pass through. The 

 seeds should be planted immediately, before they have had time to dry, 

 but if this can not be done, they may be preserved moist and in good 

 condition for some time by packing in damp earth. If seeds dry out 

 from necessity or by accident, the great majority of them can be induced 

 to germinate by soaking in water for several days previous to planting. 



Many different plans are followed in arranging the teed bed If only 

 a few seedlings are to be grown, the seeds may be planted in boxes about 

 8 inches or 1 foot deep and of any convenient size. The soil should 

 be kept moist, but not wet. Mulching the soil with moss (the common 

 Florida long moss) until the plants appear is said by some to be bene- 

 ficial. If many seedlings are to be grown, it will probably be necessary 

 to plant them in the open ground. In such cases the seeds are com- 

 monly sown in beds from 3 to 4 feet wide and about 2 feet apart. 

 Sufficient room must be left between the beds so that the seedlings may 

 be easily cultivated. The seeds sre spread broadcast or are sown in drills, 

 1 or 2 inches being left between each seed. They are then covered 



