220 A iiirrh-d II Ilurtiriiffnrti/ Siirictt/. 



The isothornial lines that indicate the hmit of the growth of the citrus 

 fruits along the northern thoros of the Mediterranean, under which naii^.e I 

 incUide all its arms or branches such as the J".v;ean and Adriatic Sens, etc., 

 show a much greater diversity of location th \n those along the Pacitic coast, 

 !ind a greater range of temperature than the climate of the Azores. At 

 Joppa, on the coast of Syria, in latitude 32° north, the orange is grown 

 jirofitably near the sea-shoi-e and inland to an elevation of about SO(l feet 

 above sea level, but only extending about four miles distant from it. This 

 narrow belt, in varying widths, follows the shore line around the jE jean and 

 Adriitic Seas to Venice, Italy, in latitude 45", where, however, the orange is 

 not grown successfully for market, but what few are grown require 'expensive 

 winter protection. At Lake Garda, the largest of the Italian lak-:^s, and in 

 latitude 46° north, having a peculiar and exceedingly sheltered position, the 

 orange and lemon have been profitably grown for centuries. This, I believe, 

 is the extreme northern limit of profitable citrus fruit growing in the world. 



The eastern shore of Italy is too cold for the citrus fruits, arfd only in 

 f ivored spots along the western shore, from Calabria north to Genoa, can 

 they be successfully grown. From Genoa the line passes westerly and 

 southerly along the coast of France to Barcelona. Spain, in latitude 4^°; 

 ihence in a narrow belt along the sea-coast to latitude 37°, and thence west 

 along that parallel of latitude to the Atlantic Ocean; thence north up the 

 coast of Portugal to latitude 41°. Near the southern limits of this isothermal 

 line there are large areas of coimtry in Asia Minor, Thessaly, C dabria, and 

 even Sicily, not adapted to citrus fruit culture, on account of the extremes 

 of heat and cold prevalent. 



Elxperienced cultivators in these countries claim that a miximum 

 temperature of over 104° and a minimum temperature of 28° Fahrenheit 

 are both injurious to the growth of the orange. Wliile the limit of safety as 

 to temjierature may lie considered as located within this range of the ther- 

 mometer, orange-growers in S )uthern California have found th.it, under favor- 

 able conditions, both the tree and fruit will bear a much higher temperature, 

 and, for a brief period, a temperature of 22° without serious injury. Shelter 

 from strong winds from any quarter is also a conlition of successful culture 

 of this fruit, while sufficient moisture to keep the tree in a li*^altliy. vigorous 

 growth is a necessity. 



SOILS. 



Although the orange tree is found to flourish well in w.irm, fertile soils, 

 compo-sed principally of sand and loam or sand and clay, it will not continue 

 productive for even a brief i)eriod with'iut maintaining its vigor and strength 

 by liberal applications of manure; hence, the limit of profit in this direction 

 is very soon reached by the decrease of crops produced and the increased 

 cost of fertilizers. Orchards depending entirely upon irrigation for their 

 supply of moisture have, I think, a decided advantage over those dependent 

 upon the rain, as the waters used in irrigation, both winter and summer, 

 especially in ojien ditches, carry with them a large amount of fertilizing 



