The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-10-01

OF the sap. We see it in all the species
IN our southern climate, and principally
| in the stump or the roots of the olive
! the walnut, the box-tree; and in knots
and punches of woods most sought by
the cabinet-maker. 1t would be nothing
strange if these precious tables were
made OF the ordinary cypress, which,
grown in Africa, has perhaps more color
1--WE can believe that at this period
Mt Atlas WAS still covered with. those
old trees which date from the creation
and whose roots have acquired in the
long course of centuries, remarkable pc
culiarties due to old age. VI
The forests of Madeira and of America
offer like examples; they have furnished
and still supply, trees of immense size
and rare beauty. But they vanish with
time, and their description will be for
our posterity an object of admiration,
astonisment and doubt.
Pliny says Mount Ancorarius, which
had been so famous for it's trees, offered
none in his time.
Perhaps the cyprus of Mount Ancora-
RUS is of the same species as that found
III Southern America, known as cypres
chduce, (cupreSsu distichd, L.)
This tree (Dupraz' History of Louis
lanai grows to great size, and has pro-
tuberances or exostoses, which, at inter-
walls cross the roots, and grow above the
surface of the ground, like boundary
posts. This comedies with what Pliny
said OF the African citre, in speaking of
Nomio's table, which was nearly four
feet in diameter.
However this may be, it is certain that
the African citre has nothing in common
with our citron; this tree furnishes no
wood much desired by cabinet workers; /;
we never see it in the workshops of
Europe, where it does not attain suffi-
cient size to make planks, and where the
wood OF it could only be had after frost
had killed the tree, in which case it
would scarcely be fit for working.
The few we know have qualities MAX
ing them as precious as the tables of the
ancients. And we think that though the
citr0n tree may be more abundant in
Media yet its wood is by nature the
same as ours. ,n ffa
The orange tree has not enough trunk
to be serviceable as wood. 1t owes toits
which spread themselves, its
to the walnut; when de-
spoiled of these, it presents very little
wood fit for use.f According to Herrera
the orange and lemon of Spain have but
little wood. The orange is sometimes
used fol. delicate inlaid work it is very
beautiful and durable.
Perhaps they also use the wood in In
dia, but in Europe / think furniture is
small pieces, and find that it receives
polish, and that its clear yellow color is
pretty, but it is not remarkably so.
But the citre presents no other like
ness than its name, which has a singular
identity with that of the 0citron !; and
Aydn, whose name has no sort of con-
nection with either citron or lemon,
shows only some equivocal features
which arrest attention, but, on examin
alton, have Uncommon with the lemon.
Pliny, who is the only one to speak of
the Hyaaa, made vague description of
it, yet explicit enough to distinguish it
from the lemon. He says: "The plant
was sought by one, and rejected with
horror by another, because of it's odor
and its bitterness, and some use it as an
ornament to houses" PLINY, bk. 10,
c. is.
These characteristics do not belong to
the lemon. 1t is, in truth, very proper
to adorn houses, either on the outside,
disposed against trellis, or within,
placed in vases for decorating apart
ments; but surely no person ever ,rejec-
ted with horror the lemon for its odor,
which is most sweet, or for the bitter
ness OF the skin, which is corrected by
an arena so agreeable, and which never
affects the pulp, the principal part of this
fruit. These two peculiarities would
Saam sufficient nroof that the fhlf0nl Of
OF Pliny is not the lemon.