430 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE CULTIVATION Ac. OF CITRUS FRUITS IN THE 

 WEST INDIES. 



By Akchimam) -I. Brooks, F.R.H.S., Officer-in-Charge, Agricultural 

 School, Dominica ; Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West 

 Indies. 



[Lecture delivered November 20, 1908.] 

 Introductory. 



The genus Citrus supplies us with many well-known fruits of a high 

 commercial value, such as the orange, lemon, citron, lime, shaddock, 

 grape-fruit, &o, 



Botanists are by no means agreed upon the classification of these 

 fruits ; some prefer to consider the citron, lime, and lemon as distinct 

 species, whereas others regard them as varieties of the same species ( Citrus 



Medico). 



As the subject of this paper is concerned more with the cultivation 

 than the botanical classification of these fruits, it will perhaps be more 

 convenient and less confusing to adopt that classification which meets 

 with general approval in the West Indies. 



It will be sufficient for our purpose on this occasion to know that the 

 following fruits are to be found growing in Dominica and many of the 

 other West Indian Islands : the Sweet Orange (C. Aurantium), Seville 

 Orange (C. Bigarodia), Sour Orange (C. vulgaris), Bergamot Orange 

 (C. Berg amid), Mandarin and Tangerine Orange (C. nobilis) ; the Citron 

 (C. Medico) ; Lemon (C. Medico var. Limonum) ; Sour Lime (C. Medico 

 var. acida), Sweet Lime (C. Medico var. Limetto) ; Shaddock or Pomelow 

 (C. decumana) ; Grape-fruit, Forbidden fruit, or Paradise fruit (C . parodisi) . 



Propagation. 



Citrus trees may be propagated by seeds, budding, grafting, or cuttings. 

 Of these methods budding is the one to be generally recommended and the 

 one usually adopted, except in the case of the West Indian Lime (C. medico 

 var. acidd) f this being propagated entirely by seed. 



Budded trees possess many advantages over seedling trees. They 

 produce fruit of a superior quality and of a uniform size and shape ; 

 they also bear true to the variety, and produce few or no seeds. Budded 

 trees will bear in four or five years, whereas seedling trees often take ten 

 or twelve. Seedling trees tend to grow erect and produce numerous 

 spines, whereas budded trees make a good lateral spread and produce 

 fewer spines, thereby greatly reducing the cost of gathering the fruit. 



Citrus trees raised from seeds are very liable to variation, due no doubt 

 to cross-fertilization. This is perhaps the strongest argument in support 

 of worked trees. On the other hand, propagation by seed should not be 

 entirely discouraged, as by this means new varieties are obtained. 



By budding, the grower has also the choice of stock most suited for his 

 particular situation. 



