The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-05-21
A Treatise on the Citrus Family.
BY NJ. GEORGE GALLEsIo.
CHAPTER l.


CHAPTER l.
THEORY OF VEGETABLE REPRODUCTION.
ART. I.-Of the Citrus-Of its species
The Intermediate races ,chich Wtite them
The researches concerning the .forned-
ton of new pldnts-1he discovery Of hy-
brids-IHe uncertainty respecting the
nature of cdrieties.
The Citrus proper has been for long
time the only species of Agrumes known
to Furopeans and has thus furnished
botanists the name of the genus to which
they have referred all the species, and
consequently the varieties also with
which our gardens have progressively
been enriched.
But among all these different races
there have ALWAYS been distinguished
four, whose physiognomy is so marked,
and whose characteristics so distinct,
that it is impossible to regard them as
other than the principal species into
which the genus is naturally divided.
The first is the Citron, which has pre-
served the generic name OF Citrus
The second species is the, Lemon,
wrongly called Citrus medicd, but prop
erly Citrus limOn.
The third and fourth are commonly
known as the Sweet and Sour (Bigarade)
orange, and have been united by botan-
lists under the common name OF CITRUS
durdiltium.
These four species have been almost
infinitely multiplied by chain OF yarle-
ties, and have been crossed and con-
founded in such a manner that at the
present time they are so united one to
the other by an insensible and continuous
graduation that it is very difficult to dis
tinguish them. They are also multiplied
in appearance more than in reality by
the different names which these varieties
have received from the botanists OF dit
ferent countries, as well as by the dlsap-
pearance of several varieties once known
and the formation of several new ones.
In the midst Of this coIiIas-=-
agreed concerning the species, which
has always presented characteristics not
to.be mistaken - GN
But Abotanists have never occupied
themselves carefully with these secon-
Diary divisions, and satisfied with having
classified the numerous genera of veget-
ables, they have regarded the different
races sometimes as species and some
times as varieties, without even deter
mining the characteristics by which
nature has distinguished these two anal
agous but different classes of the vegeta-
bic kingdom.
They long disputed to ascertain wheth
er the earth has produced new species
of plants since the creation, or whether
all that now exist were created at the
beginning of the world.
This question, discussed with so much
erudition and sagacity, appears to have
been decided since we have discovered
the secret of the combination of the
species by the fructifying pollen which
passes from one plant to the others and
tits nolonger doubtful that nature, rich
in her productions, has arranged kind
of marriage between plants differing
little, from which it results that new
plant is produced, distinguished by the
name of hybrid.
The discovery OF these vegetable
mules, which form in nature class not
originally existing, has thrown much
light upon and infinitely facilitated the
classification of species. - w
But it still remains to determine the
nature and discover the origin of the
third race of vegetables, which cannot
be ranked among the hybrids because
they belong only to one species, but are
nevertheless SO different from each other
and from the primitive type that we
must regard them as distinct beings, hay
ing their own peculiar characteristics.
1t is principally upon these numerous
races, known under the name of varie-
ties, that the opinion of botanists and
cultivators is still divided. The hypoth-
esis hitherto formed concerning their
nature and formation are SO vague and
( unsatisfactory that it is important for sci-
ence that light be thrown upon this mys-
terry, and that an explanation of it be
given more in harmony with the princi-
pies of vegetable physiology. We will
begin by examining the opinions held
upon this subject.
ART II.-Opiniosss of Jotaasts and ogri-
.s culturists respecting the origi,, and cause
Of cdTieties and monsters
When we regard the variety always
reappearing in the productions of the
vegetable Kingdom, and observe the in
Vulnerable multitude of new beings by
which the surface of the globe is contin-
ually enriched, we are tempted to believe
that nature has abandoned to number
of ex ternal agents, either natural OF ar
tifcial, the power of modifying herpro-
auctions and infinitely varying them.