The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-07-16

CHAPTER III.
IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION.
ART. 1.-The Citron Tree.
The citron tree was several centuries
a constant species, preserved in Europe
without hybrids or varieties. Thus The
ophrastus, Virgil, Pliny, Palladius, Cres-
centius, &c, represent it. AS soon,
however, as its cultivation was extend
ed and it was multiplied by seed, it gave
varieties; and it produced hybrids also
so soon as it was placed in the same soil
with lennon and orange trees. Hence
the three varieties of Mathiole and Gallo,
and tleimore numerous ones of the Ara
bic agricHlturists hence also the infinite
races OF later writer's, who have classed
among the species OF the citron tree the
multitude of monsters which reappear
every day without ever resembling each
other, and which are hardly ever per
petuated.
Feqraris reports eight species OF this
tree, and gives plates of five, of which
three are monsters.
Commelyn gives four species OF it OF
which two are only monsters.
Nolcamerius gives ten species, OF
which several are only monsters, and
the others are sub-varieties or varieties
represented twice.
The plan we shall follow siraplities
this nomenclature, and causes the most
of these aforementioned races to disap
pear.
There is only one type; but hybrids
are numberless, which it is impossible
and useless to follow, and which must
be reduced to those whose peculiaritieS
are most remarkable.
The citron of Media, known in Liguira
as the citron of the Hebrews, or the
Hebrew citron, is certainly the type
There are only three varieties deserv.
ing mention the citron of Genoa, which
surpasses the type in size, but is inferior
to it in taste and delicacy; the citron of
Salo, which surpasses the type in deli
cacy and aroma, but is inferior to it Ia
volume and the double-f1owered citron,
remarkable for its double or semi-double
flower, and so prone TO irregular fecun-
dation as often to produce monsters
The hybrids seem innumerable, be-
cause they present graduation of shades
of difference in their physiognomy,
which is as varied as the combinations
from which they result; but when accus-
toned 10 seeing them; one easily per-
ceives that there is determinate num-
ferred.
l will begin by dividing them into two.
classes -hybrids and ssemihybrids. s. L
understand by -hy birds those in which
the mixture has sensibly altered the
natural physiognomy of the species, and
by semi-hybridss those in which this
mixture is so slight as to be determined
only with great care. / will place in this
article only the last class, and discuss
the first class under the articles concern
ing the respective species which-predom-
mate in the mixture.
The semi-hybrids of the citron tree
are only three: the citron of Florence,
the citron of China, or the orange-citron,
and the sweet citron. All the other
citrons with which the Hesperides of
Commelyn are filled are only sub-varie-
ties differing only by insensible particu-
larities, which appear and ,re-appear
successfully, or else isolated monsters,
which are only fruits of which every tree
produces some annually in the midst of
ordinary fruit, but which are not perpet-
uated by their seed. Among the first,
the sub-varieties, are the citron of Corfu,
whose fruit is so small and ordinary that
it is called in the country the cedro mag
za-cdnj. The cedrat of Holland, the
CeUfdL DerSdIiOIIo, TIE CeuTdb ONllOIHl1
the cedrat of Garda, the cedrat musciato
and the dorato, names given by Nolcam-
erius, are only lemon-citrons, whose
family is SO numerous and varied that |
might easily describe twenty varieties OF
them now growing in my garden, pro-
duced from seed, and whicheI regard as
unworthy to be perpetuated by the graft,
because they possess no characteristics
rendering them extraordinary.
'tThe species with monstrous fruits
completes the list OF the Hesperides.
At the present time know Of but very
few among the citron trees which form
monstrous varieties. The lemon and the
orange present plants, of which the first
is striped, starred, &C., but the citron
produces no other than fruit which is
tuberculous, form peculiar to this spe-
cles. The fruits shaped like a hand, or
crumpled around the nipple; those
*Up to this point Prof. Wilcox had transla-
ted tins work ut the time of his death. The