The Florida agriculturist., 1884-09-17
CHAPTER ".
HISTORY OF TIE CITRUS.

HISTORY OF TIE CITRUS.
ART. I.-Sudies upon The citron tree-In-
digenOus IN Medio-Ndtralized IN Pal
estine, Greece, and Haly-Ddte of ats
transmigration.
But it's cultivation would extend into
Asia Minor. The citron tree, originally
from Media, where the warm, damp
climate favored its continual vegetation,
was already cultivated in Persia in the
time of Theophrastus, and could have
been easily propagated in other provin-
ces of this Empire.
Herodotus records that Nebuchadnez-
zer caused the famous gardens of Baby
lon to be constructed in compliment to
his wife, who was accustomed to the
delightful climate of Media. Nothing
could be more natural than that upon
this occasion the citron be carried to
Babylon, whence it could be spread in
the neighboring provinces. At the time
of Dioscorides it was, without doubt, ac-
acclimated in Cilicia. This physician
speaks of it in way to make us think it
was naturalized in the district where he
lived. He calls it POmme de Media or
cedromeles, and says that the Latins
named it citron.
Once cultivated in Cilicia, the citron
would, naturally, soon be in Palestine,
which at that point touched Persia, and
had so many relations with that vast
country.
We have already said that as soon as
the Hebrews knew of the tree, they de-
voted it to their Feast of Tabernacles,
in which their law ordered them to carry
the fruit of the finest tree; and we see
bv the Samaritan medals, reported by
hot This nc XvaC o11nip1lf
Although it could NOT have been culti-
waited in Palestine at that time, it is to
be believed that the Hebrews hastened
to naturalize in their own land tree
which they had consecrated to reli-
gious use. The climate of Palestine
would assist immensely in this attempt,
and, doubtless, at the time of Josephus,
they had already succeeded.
This historian speaks of the citron un-
der the name of Persian-apple; but this
name, connected with it's origin, was the
one received among the Greeks for des-
ignating the citron, and was always used
by them even after it had been natural
lied in our country.
Besides Josephus uses in another
place the name of Citrus (kitrion,) and
in manner to prove that it was pro-
duction of the country. He tells us in
book 13, that the Jews being in revolt
against their king, Alexander, threw cit
ron in his face whilst he was at the foot
of the altar celebrating the Feast of Tab
nacles; and, although he had said be-
fore, in speaking of the tree, that it was
the custom in this solennity to fasten
the Persian-apples to palm branches, he
says here, that they were accustomed to
carry boughs of the citron. How shall
we explain this abundance of citrons,
shown by the little account made of
them in using them as missiles, and by
their carrying branches of the tree, un-
less we admit that it was acclimated in
their country? Otherwise, would they
not have been content with simple cit
rons, as the Jews are who now inhabit
the countries farther north?
Nothing could be easier than to make
it pass from Palestine to the Grecian
isles, and thence to Sicily and Sardinia,
where it really is so well acclimated as
to seem indigenous.
Most writers who have spoken of the
naturalization of the citron in Italy have
attributed it to Palladius. Clusius, Bau-
linus, Ferraris, and some other partisans
of this opinion, base it upon the testi-
mony of that author; but Palladius, far
from taking to himself this glory, speaks
AL oAtSIl q llH1tdAIICI VI OIIC C1blO1l W
make us think that this plant was al
ready not only acclimated in SARDINIA and
Naples, but also in the north, where it
could not live without the help of artif-
cial shelters and coverings.
This agricultural luxury, unknown to
the ancients, and for the origin of which,
perhaps, we are indebted to the culture
of the citron, proves that the plant had
been long time in Italy, where its cul-
ture had spread very much; it was in
Sicily and in Naples, and, according to
Palladius, it bore flowers and fruit all
the year, as in Assyria
See how this writer expresses himself:
COZ THE CGTRoN. :.
''In the month of March one can pro-
pagate the citron in several ways-by
seed, by dragon (root .suckers,) by 9je-
ton (also suckers or shoots,) and by bos-
tNre (cutting.) 1t loves light earth,
warm climate, and continual humidity.