644 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [PfiBMMftY 9, tftSg, 



to question whether the energy of those interested— which, 

 accordiug to the Consul, " is not merely one of self inter- 

 est" — will be repaid in the manner they anticipate, when 

 the great continental manufactories are turning out more 

 of the commodity than is required for consumption, and 

 bounties and drawbacks are resorted to as a means of 

 fostering a trade which could not thrive on fair principles. 

 However, some of these new factories are so far advanced 

 as to be in readiness for the machinery which it is hoped 

 may be at work by November or December; aud the Con- 

 sul remarks that " shareholders will, no doubt, be happy 

 to learn that the investment cannot but prove remuner- 

 ative under the proviso of the zealous and energetic 

 administration already alluded to." There seems more 

 reason for expecting future good from the development 

 of the railway network which, by the accounts the report 

 gives, is rapidly proceeding ; not only benefiting the interior, 

 but also tending to increase the export trade of Bahia. 

 Having given the figures of import trade, Mr. Stevens 

 gays : — « The duty exactedamouuted to a little over one- 

 fourth of the values. A statement of the trade of the 

 port of Bahia may be interesting, as showing the im- 

 portance of that of Great Britain over any other 

 nationality : — 



Exports to Imports from 



Country. 1882-83. 1882-83. 



£ B. d. £ b. d. 



Argentine Confederation 6,224 3 4 ... 11,076 7 9 



Austria-Hungary ... 955 2 4 ... 20,963 14 10 



Belgium 53,312 15 4 ... 14,594 6 3 



Chili 58 7 11 ... 



France 180,095 6 ... 241,164 16 3 



Germany 458,389 7 4 ... 223,523 6 10 



Great Britain ... 254,899 17 5 ... 1,110,094 10 4 



Italy 2,905 19 10 ... — 



Portugal 25,425 5 4 ... 180,341 14 7 



Spain 707 15 7 ... 8,158 7 6 



United States of 



America 195.616 14 6 ... 129,641 8 4 



Uruguay 2,410 11 1 ... 68,534 19 3 



West Coastof Africa 13,475 12 11 ... 15,334 13 11 



Total £1,194,206 19 3 £2,023,428 "5 10 



In conclusion the report says: — Possessing diamonds, 

 "old. silver, amethyst, copper, lead, iron, potash, alum, 

 saltpetre, peat, coals, timber, a vast bay, a splendid port, 

 navigable rivers, a soil and climate capable of growing 

 anything and everything known in agriculture, without 

 much outlay, and cheap labour, Bahia has no doubt a 

 great future before it. These sinews of great wealth, 

 through the inertness and apathy of its owners, whether 

 State or private, have been sadly neglected over more 

 than 350 years. The new railways and the new central 

 factories aud tramways are indications that there is a re- 

 action at last, and, in the interest of those concerned on 

 this side, and those in Europe trading with them, among 

 whom Eug'and holds the first place, let us hope that the 

 past indifference to the good things of this world will 

 soon he retrieved. ~Chmnb?r of Commerce Journal. 



THE TEADE IN ORANGE PEEL. 

 Christrnastide wakes up aud important trade in products 

 of the Orange family, and especially does one of these 

 put in a prominent appearance at this time, and that is 

 the rind or peel of the Citron in its form of candied peel. 

 Fruiterers and grocers make a goodly display of dried and 

 candied fruits just now. The public have little concep- 

 tion of the large commerce carried oh in the peel. Let 

 us form a rough estimate of its consumption as candied 

 peel at this season. There is scarcely a household in the 

 kingdom that does not have one or more plum puddings. 

 Assuming that there are 7,000,000 families (to say nothing 

 of the floating population in hotels, ships, &c), each of 

 these would consume, say, half a pound of peel for their 

 puddings, which creates a demand for 1.500 tons, and 

 we import more than this quantity from Italy alone. It 

 is the Cedrat, a variety of the Citrus mediea, which principal- 

 ly supplies the Citron peel of commerce. The large fruits 

 are known under the name of poncires in France. But 

 it is not only the peel itself of these fruits that is use- 

 ful, valuable essential oils are obtained from the rind of 

 many species. The large variety of the Citron when cand- 



ied furnishes the chief part of the citrionate or succade. 

 The rind of Citrus aurantium yields the essence of Orange 

 of Portugal. The fruit rind of Citrus bergamium, a graft 

 on O. vulgaris, with a fine aroma, is abominably bitter, 

 furnishes Bergamot oil, and the Mellorosa variety an ex- 

 quisite confiture. The pulp aud thick rind of the Shad- 

 dock, O. deeumana, can each be used for preserves. The 

 sweet Lemon, Citrus Limonum, with a thick and pale 

 rind, serves for particular condiments. The thin smooth 

 aromatic peel of the ordinary Lemon also furnishes con- 

 diments and the production of an essential oil. The plants 

 of the Orange family exhibit in every part vesicular glands 

 or receptacles of oil, which abounds particularly in tha 

 leaves and in the rind of the fruit. It is this volatile 

 principal which makes these trees so odoriferous, and gives 

 that stimulant action which the various parts exercise on 

 the animal economy. 



Orange peel readily yields its otto by simple expression. 

 The fruit of both the Bigarade and the sweet Orange in 

 used, the former yielding the best product. It is a light 

 yellow liquid, and has a strong aroma peculiar to the 

 fruit from which it is obtained. Its general properties 

 are the same whether derived from the sweet or bitter 

 Orange. Of all ottos it is the most difficult to preserve; 

 when exposeil to the air it becomes worthless with great 

 rapidity. The Seville Orange (C. Bigaradia) differs from 

 the sweet chiefly in bearing a fruit rugged on the surface 

 of a deeper hue and with a pulp sour and bitter instead 

 of sweet. 



The Seville Oranges are principally used for marmalade. 

 The rind of the Bergamot yields, both by pressure and 

 distillation, the volatile oil called Bergamot. One hundred 

 fruits are said to yield 2J oz. From the rind of the sweet 

 Orange an essential oil called oil of orange is produced ; 

 an inferior kind called Neroli oil, is obtained from the 

 rind of the bitter or Seville Orange. The value of the 

 essences obtained from the Orange family shipped annually 

 from Messina exceeds £170,000. The preparation of pre- 

 served or candied Citron used to be carried on in Leghorn 

 on a large scale. In a good year about 5,000 boxes 

 to more than 1,000 tons are shipped. Refined sugar alone 

 is used, and enters into the composition in the propor- 

 tion of 80 per cent., and more sugar was lost and used 

 up in the course of the manufacture than was allowed 

 for by the drawback, hence it does not pay at present to 

 preserve the peel, which is shipped in brine. Italy sends 

 us, on the average of years, about 3,750 tons, worth 

 £60,000. 



The fruit of the Citron, cut in two or three pieces of 

 about lib weight each, are packed in barrels of brine 

 to iusure their preservation. From Sicily, 50 to 100 tons 

 are shipped in a year at the price of about £3 per cwt. 

 In Greece and the Levant the parings of the hundreds 

 of millions of fruits consumed were formerly thrown away 

 hut some Sicilians have of late years introduced the art 

 of preparing the essential oil. In 1872 the quantity of 

 essences shipped from Messina was 307,000 lb. One thousand 

 Lemons, price 9s., will yield lib. avoirdupois of essence; 

 350,000 lb. to 400,000 lb. avoirdupois of essence extracted 

 from the peel of the Citron are often shipped from Messina 

 in a year. Each tree will often yield in value £4 of fruit. 

 The Cedrat has been much cultivated of late years in 

 Corsica, the prices realized for the produce under this 

 branch of industry are most remunerative. About 1,000,000 

 lb. of fruit or candied Citron peel, and 2,700,000 lb. salted, 

 is exported annually. The Cedrat forms a considerable 

 article of commerce in the island of Naxon. About half 

 a million fruit are sent annually to England, but many 

 millions might be shipped. They are sold when large at 

 about 5d. each. The want of labour prevents their being 

 prepared on the spot. Malaga ships about 1,000 1b. of 

 Orange-peel to different ports in Europe for making liqueurs 

 and syrups. 



When the time for preserving for England comes the 

 fruit is taken from the pipes, and boiled till soft enough 

 to admit of the pulp being scooped out. The rind is then 

 laid in tubs or cisterns, and melted sugar poured over it. 

 Here it lies for three or four weeks, aud then the sugar 

 is drained away, and the rind placed on trays in a room 

 constructed for the purpose. It now assumes the name of 

 dried peel, and is stored away in boxes till wanted for 

 candying. 



