The Florida agriculturist., 1884-07-23
CHAPTER III.
ART. 2.-Ot the Lemon Tree.

AkT. Z.-OJ tHS Lemon L rec
Citrus medica limon fiore polyandio, scope
agynio, corolla intus alba, exterius rubea,
folio in summa teneritate violaceo, petioio
articulato, frlctu fiavo. obovato, cortici tenui,
medula ampla, CRATE acida.
The limonier (or lemon tree) is a spe-
cies rich in varieties, and still richer in
hybrids. The type is an oblong fruit, of
which the rind is glossy and yellowish !;
thin, and full of caustic aroma; the
inner skin, nearly useless, is white,
leathery, and very adherent to the peli-
cule or thin skin which covers the sec
tions. Its pulp is yellowish white, abun-
dant, and encloses quantity of acid
juice, agreeable and aromatic 1t is this
which makes the value of the fruit, it
being useful in cookery and in the max
ing of drinks.
This type is most often produced from
seed, though it is very frequently modi-
fled by fertilization, and the result is an
innumerable crowd of varieties, which
are mingled and confounded with the
hybrids OF the citron and the orange. In
proportion as the skin thickens, the
lemon removes itself from its type and
approaches the citron. l do not, how
ever, establish upon this fact the prin-
ciple that all lemons whose fruit has
fieshy skin must be hybrids, for this
peculiarity may reach certain point in
dependently of the influence of the cit
ron; and there are lemons whose skin
is thicker than the type, and yet they
have not the indication of the citron.
These are varieties due to accidents of
formulation The lemon tree attaches
itself also to the bigarade and sweet or
ange trees by very great number of
hybrids, which form the numerous class
of lines On this side, however, the
line of division is more marked, and it
is difficult to confound the mixed species
with tLc varieties
We will commence by description of
the type, choosing afterwards those va
rieties sufficiently marked to show their
difference with their model. We will
then speak OF the hybrids which attach
themselves to the citron tree, called
concires, and finally of those attached to
the orange trees called lumies.
To reduce them to their natural order
we must place in the center the type or
model, which leans, on one side, toward
the citron, on the other, toward the or
ange In passing, we take up, first, all
varieties which may be remarkable; af-
forwards, the hybrids, which, like
chain, tie all these races together.
Turning towasds the citron tree | find
a large number of lemon trees whose
fruit has thick, uneven skin, nearly al
ways Oblong, and differing among them
selves only in size OF these / see but
three varieties First the lemon, of semi
double flower, whose fruit is regularly
Indifferent second the lemon, OF sour
Juice; and third the lemon of sweet
Juice. Their sub-varieties being innu-
merable, l pass them by in silence.
Passing on from the rGriettes | come to
the hy6rids of the citron.
l recognize but two races among them,
of which each has sub-yarieties, distin
guished only by the size OF fruit, and by
insignificant changes of form. The first
of these hybrids is the lemon-citron,
with oblong, tuberculous fruit, called
poncire, q fruit ordindire. The second is
the lemon-citron, having egg-shaped,
smooth-skinned fruit, called poncire, a
frud tin. The most remarkable variety
of this is the Pomme dc Parqlis para
dise-apple.)
Starting again from the original type,
l meet varieties which improve upon the
principle species by the delicacy and
odor Of the skin, and by the abundance
and aroma of the juice. They all have
fruit nearly round. The first is the
UmoHtSf, u ITUH FH, Or luSJEhtoI Vi hOuo'
The second is the bmOnier lgurien, or
bugnetta. The third is the HmOnier, a
petit fruit, or balotin, OF Spain.
l come finally to the hybrids of the
orange, which are so numerous that it
is impossible to follow them into all their
notifications. l shall, therefore, divide
them into two classes, hybrids OF the
bigarade, and hybrids of the sweet or
range. At the head of the first place
the bergamot lime, and lime of Naples.
put at the head of the second the sweet
lime, or the orange-colored lemon of
sweet juice. All other races of this
nature are but notifications of these.
Thus is shown the entire ramiications
of the limonier, or lemon tree. Having
closely examined the crowd Of varieties
spoken of by Ferraris and Volcamerius,
and by many other writer's, find them
all in those have named therefore 1
think it useless to make isolated de-
scriptions, as they would be but repe-
tition, under different names, of the