The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-07-02

have begun by seeking the species
among all Eropean specimens of the
Citrus, and arranged around these their
hybrids and varieties.
We have also presented some relec-
tions upon the species of the Indies, Of
which we have given only an idea, leav-
ing to more enlightened botanists the
task OF examining and classifying them,
as we have those OF Europe
The seed-beds have been the princi-
pal means made Use of in our search for
species.
We have seen the citron tree OF the
Jews CITRUS me0fica cedrd fructu 0blOngo
crGsso eduh 0dOrdtjssjDlO, GALL. Syn, J
reproduced constantly from the seed
1t has many seeds, the greater part of
which always give citron trees having
constantly the same characteristics in
aspect, form and properties; it is, there
fore, type.
All other citrons are sterile or nearly
so, and hence are only hybrids or varie-
ties. Such are the Chinese citron, (Cit-
rus medicd cedrG fructu marimo duran-
tidtO, GALL. SYM the cedrat of Flor
ence, Citrus medicG cedra Florentina
fructu pdro, GALL. SYM and several
OtnOIS hlIlCll I0SCIlDlc CueIu.
The common lemon (Citrus medica
Hmon fructu ordto, G. 81 also contains
many seeds. 1t is reproduced constant
ly from the seed, and its peculiarities are
perpetuated in its descendants. 1t is,
therefore, species. 1t produces hy-
birds and varieties, but they are found
rarely, and only among many types
They have few seeds, and these repro
duce most frequently the type. Some
times they contain no seeds, and it is
always in those deviating most from the
type that we remark this sterility. The
poncire or cedrat lemon (Citrus medico
ltnaOn .tructu ctr ITO GALL. Syn, is of
this number.
The sour orange also produces many
seeds, which always reproduce sour or
lnge trees. Hybrids are met with only
lmong great numbdr of types. Vari-
ties are found more frequently, but |
hese deviate very little from the char
always reproduce it hence the sour
orange is a species.
The sweet. orange has many seeds
which always reproduce sweet oranges.
They give rise, to varieties, and We often
remark in the same sowing orange trees
Of ordinary fruit and Others OF superior
fruit, but there is no single example in
which these seeds have produced sour
orange tree. The sweet orange is there
fore species, 81,
Whenit gives monsters they have no
seeds, or very few; such are the seedless
orange) Uurdntium Senline cdrens, FER
the red orange ( (ttur0ntiunl hierCchuncti-
cam, GALL. SYN. } and the small China
orange (Citrus Gurdntium cderle ct tructu
pumtlO, GALL, SYM
These four species are, therefore, GER
tainly types, They do not, perhaps,
present .lall the exterior characteristics
which the botanists have adopted to dis
tinguish species; but in the study of
natural history it is necessary to guard
against forcing nature in order to make
her conform to various systems.
She is not confined to constant forms
and determinate modification in order to
distinguish vegetables. She is pleased
to vary those distinctive signs by which
she has marked these divisions. She
has, from preference, fixed them in the
fructifying parts and the form of the leaf,
but has not, ON this account, renounced
less general peculiarities. 1t is sufficient
that characteristic be constant, or I'M
alterable, or pronounced, in order to be
distinctive for nature. Thus the acidity
and bitterness of the pulp of the sour
orange, the aroma OF its peel, its leaf
and flower, being qualities constantly
attached to this plant, altered neither
by culture nor climate, nor evenly the
seed, may and must be distinctive char
acteristics of this species.
These are the principles which have
guided us in the classification of the spe-
icies.ofs the Citrus Of Europe. We have
been able to. recognize only four of them;
all the others are only hybrids or varie-
tiesa They Ralf present theH mixture of
these four mother-species, and their
characteristics, c0nfOunded and COM
bined in hundred different ways, never
depart from the model of these four
types,
& Such is evidently the nature of all the
races seen in the gardens of Europe. 1t
is only in the Indies that we meet with
a great number of others whose phys
iognoniy assimilates them to our species,
without, however, manifesting exactly
their peculiar features. Such are most
of the races Of Amboine, of which Rum
phius has given us the description; such
are some races of the Cochin China and
China fruit, described by Louveiro; and
such, finally, are some races from Japan,
reported by Kempfer and Thumberg.
The most of these races not only can
not be regarded as varieties of our Citrus
family in Europe, but they cannot even
be considered as species belonging to
our genus Citrus. They differ sensibly