4 BULLETIN 49, HAWAII AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



In 1917 the experiment station received several specimens of 

 Rangpur buds which were grafted upon sour-orange stock. These 

 trees are making such thrifty growth that it is deemed worth while 

 propagating considerable new stock from them for further ex- 

 periment. 



TAHITI. 



The Tahiti (PL VI) is supposed to be a sport of the Persian 

 variety of lime. The tree attains a height of 15 feet and forms at the 

 top a dense mass of foliage which presents a rounded appearance. 

 The branches are set with small spines and are inclined to droop, 

 and the dark-green leaves are large and have a tendency to curl. 

 The fruiting season of the Tahiti lime is during the fall and winter. 



Fruit: Produced in abundance and is borne either singly or in 

 clusters; frequently well hidden by the foliage; seedless; size me- 

 dium to large, 3 by 2£ inches; apex often nippled with pistil style, 

 or with both stigma and pistil adhering ; rind green to lemon-yellow 

 in color, smooth, thin, and scattered with pit depressions; base 

 necked to rounded; calyx adheres firmly to fruit; flesh fine-grained 

 and of greenish color; segments irregular in number but usually 

 average 10 ; pulp vesicles cylindrical, narrow, and somewhat pointed ; 

 juice plentiful, almost colorless, and of agreeable flavor; acid 

 strong; central pith open and small. 



Two improved types of the Tahiti are the Bearss and the Im- 

 proved. Bearss is under cultivation in Hawaii and is highly es- 

 teemed on account of the prolificacy of the tree and the large, seed- 

 less fruit. 



CALAMONDIN. 



The caiamondin {Citrus mitis), 5 erroneously called the Chinese 

 orange, is frequently associated with the lime, for which it is some 

 times used as a substitute. 



CULTURE. 



CLIMATE. 



Lime trees thrive in a warm, moist climate where the rainfall is 

 evenly distributed in frequent showers and varies from 80 to 150 

 inches annually. In localities where moisture is lacking, irrigation 

 should be practiced to enable the trees to make thrifty growth. It 

 is important that the orchard be relatively free from exposure to the 

 force of high wind, otherwise growth will be retarded, the foliage 

 and flowers seriously injured, and the fruit bruised and scarred. In 

 some places windbreaks are provided to protect a grove that is not 

 well located. 



SOIL. 



The lime grows best in rich sandy or gravelly soil which is well 

 drained. Porous lava soils of recent formation, geologically, give 

 excellent results when they occur in locations of abundant rainfall. 

 Stiff clay soils are not suitable because they give rise to root troubles. 

 Impervious substrata can be shattered by the use of dynamite. 



6 Bailey, L. H. Standard Cyclopedia of Hort., v. II, p. 784. 



