Jd)j 10, 1813. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



27 



•only with the stems covered with haybauds as above described ; 

 and, stniuye to say, eleven out of the twelve grew, while only 

 two out of the corresponding clump made a growth. Several 

 others attempted to do 30 but died, and my impression at the 

 time wiis, that if the stems had also been covered most of 

 them would have Uved. It is an excellent plan to assist plants 

 to recover the effects of a removal, for it keeps the pores of the 

 ijnd open for the absorption of moisture, aud the bark plays 

 its part in the elaboration of sap as well as the leaves. If dry 

 weather set in after planting, these strawbands or protections 

 should be frequently saturated with water, as well as the 

 branches syringed with the garden engine or any other suit- 

 able contrivance for scattering water. Some planters fix a 

 sort of collar round the stem at the top of the hay bands, which, 

 if close-fitting, serves to convey the water down between the 

 stem and its covering. This is not a bad idea. — T. Becobd. 



LETTERS FROM JAPAN.— LIFE IN THE 

 INTERIOR.— No. 4. 



Shisoko, near Toyahi, Moi'oh 31st, 1873. 



In my last letter to you, dated December 22nd, I intimated 

 that some weeks would elapse before you heard again from 

 jne, as I was going into the interior, where there were no 

 postal arrangements, and very imperfect means of travelling. 

 Bot my silence has been much longer than 1 had anticipated, 

 arising from causes beyond my own control. 



Yon will be sorry to hear that I have been very Ul since I 

 left Toldo. I took cold, and have been laid up for seven weeks, 

 and ha»l to send for an English doctor from Yokohama, which 

 is 275 miles distant from here. It has been a very severe 

 attack of pleurisy on my left side. Until I got the doctor I 

 adopted the best means I had, and with the help of God I am 

 now nearly all right. I have had the greatest attention paid to 

 me by the Japanese. I hope to get to Yokohama about the 

 1st of May, when I am to be removed to Simonasaki, which 

 has the finest temperature in Japan. My Japanese interpreter 

 has been most kind and attentive. I applied mustard and 

 poppy poultices until 1 could get medical advice. The Japanese 

 shot me two deer, as there was no other kind of European food 

 which I could eat. I also obtained jellies in bottle from Yoko- 

 hama. The doctor gives me credit for my treatment of my- 

 self. He said if I had not pursued the course I did I could 

 not have survived, for he was three weeks in getting to me 

 from the time when I sent a messenger in request of his aid. 



I have made some "notes by the way" of the people and 

 the country, but I do not yet feel strong enough to undertake 

 the task of reproducing them in a form suitable for your 

 columns. — J. Taskkp. Foster. — {By tin- favour of the Writer's 

 Father, Editor of the Yorkshire Gazette.) 



THE FRUIT PRODUCE OF SPAIN. 



It being summer time the beds of the rivers are quite dry ; 

 every streamlet and summer spring aids in supplying the 

 irrigation canals. The force of the winter torrents is plainly 

 evident from the terrible disturbance of their rocky beds ; 

 indeed, one of the most interesting features of these moun- 

 tainoas districts is the picturesque scenery of their river chan- 

 nels. In the valleys all is luxuriousness. Thousands of acres 

 of Orange trees, under careful culture, displaying trees white 

 with blossom, side by side with others bright with abundance 

 of golden fruit. In other parts of Spain, as in Cordova and 

 Seville, wo have seen Oranges growing in profusion ; but the 

 traveller must visit eastern Spain to find the real Orange- 

 growing country, which supplies our home markets so plenti- 

 fully. Immense farms produce nothing but Oranges. Station 

 after station along the railway marks tlic importance of the 

 trade ; trucks stand un sidings laden with boxes already packed, 

 and carts disgorge their freight of ripe fruit upon the ground 

 in different station-yards. Hampers of delicious blossom await 

 despatch to Barcelona and other places, for making the much- 

 sooght-aftcr Orange-water of the toilette ; all these evidences 

 denote unmistakeably that we are now traveUing through the 

 chief Orange-growing districts of Spain. To a visitor from the 

 colder climate of England there is a special charm about such 

 a country. 



There are many varieties of Oranges, but the chief kinds for 

 supplying the export market are the Bitter and Seville Orange. 

 The former ia largely exported for manufacture into marma- 

 lade, and lart'o shipments are made to Scotland, particularly 

 to Dnndcc. This Bitter Orange is also used for flavouring the 



much-esteemed liqueur curaijoa. Orange trees flower in the 

 spring. Neither the blossom nor fruit has a quick growth, 

 aud for many weeks the air is filled with the perfume of fall- 

 ing blossom. In the evening the atmosphere is so impregnated 

 with it that it becomes quite overpowering and sickening. The 

 fruit commences to turn yellow late in the autumn, when that 

 required for exportation is gathered, and after being wrapped 

 in paper, is packed in cases. Oranges for home use are gathered 

 as they are required ; aud be it observed, that to enjoy Oranges 

 to perfection, they should be eaten fresh from the tree, and 

 the most luscious fruit is that which hangs upon the trees 

 until the new blossom appears. Throughout the Valencia 

 districts we see new plantations of young trees and other 

 plantations of various ages of growth. Trees begin to bear 

 fruit about the sixth year ; the fruit continuing to improve in 

 quality for sixteen or twenty years, after which the Oranges 

 degenerate, the rind becomes thick, and they are unfit for 

 exportation to foreign markets, for which pni^iose only the 

 choicest fruit is selected. Orange trees attain a great age, and 

 stUl bear fruit. In the celebrated gardens of the Alcazar at 

 Seville there are trees pointed out as having been planted in 

 the time of Pedro the Cruel (1369), which are of immense 

 size, and are still fruitful. 



Export chests contain from 700 to 1000 Oranges each, and 

 are worth to the exporter from 25s. to 30.s. each ; they have 

 open bars, so as to allow a circulation of ah' through them. 

 Oranges are packed before being quite ripe; they ripen, how- 

 ever, upon the voyage, though at the same time the skin 

 toughens, and they lose much of the tempting lusciousness of 

 newly-gathered fruit. Durmg the flowering season much blos- 

 som is collected by nuns and others for the purpose of making 

 into sweetmeats. 



To convey an idea of the importance and extent of the trade 

 in these eastern provinces, it will suffice to mention that there 

 is grown in the immediate neighbourhood of Blanca (province 

 of Murcia) an average of 25,000 boxes a-year. 



Next in interest to the Orange plantations are the Rice fields. 

 The cultivation of Kice is entirely dependant upon the valu- 

 able system of irrigation. All along the lines of canal there 

 are well laid out and carefully prepared allotments of land, 

 which are first le-.elled aud then banked up with puddled clay 

 walls, over which the water is allowed to flow to a depth of a 

 few inches. In these flooded fields we see teams of horses (not 

 oxen) ploughing the saturated earth, the seed being scattered 

 broadcast by labourers who toil ankle deep in water. Some 

 crops are already growing, aud the pretty bright green shoots 

 of the Rice plants are so thick as to nearly hide from view the 

 water which stUl covers the roots. The valuable results of 

 irrigation works in Spain are sometimes wonderful. Spaniards 

 owe the adaptation of this valuable principle to those long- 

 departed shrewd men of intellect, the ancient race of Moors. 

 Indeed, the very works in Valencia which irrigate over 50,00(1 

 acres of land were constructed by them more than a thousand 

 years ago. Kings of Spain, in subsequent times, have extended 

 the system through other parts of the kingdom, but it is mar- 

 vellous that the Spaniards have not had sufficient energy to 

 carry it throughout the whole country. There are thousands, 

 indeed milhons, of acres of land which might be watered in 

 this manner in the valley of theDouro, the Tagus, the Guadiana, 

 and the Guadalquiver. English enterprise is doing something 

 in this way for Spain ; extensive works are in progress by an 

 EngUsh company for irrigating (30,000 acres of laud ; and 

 doubtless, if Spain would create confidence and assure protec- 

 tion for capital, any amount of English money might be found 

 to increase such useful works. Land in Spain thus irrigated 

 increases twelve times in value. Farms in the neighbourhood 

 of Valencia are worth from £200 to £400 sterling per acre, and 

 some in the adjoining province of Murcia even £500 per acre. 

 These rich lands will grow corn. Rice, Olives, Vines, Oranges, 

 Citrons, Palms, Pepper, Prickly Pears, and numberless other 

 fruits, and the genial climate ripens two, three, and even four 

 crops in a year. The value of water is of course very great, 

 and many curious aud interesting matters are worth noticing 

 in connection therewith. In Lorca the water is sold everyday 

 by auction, and the value of the streams of water which supply 

 the district may be estimated from the fact that a stream of 

 water discharging a cubic foot per minute is worth an annual 

 value of upwards of £2000.— (S^OKt's Toitr through Spain with 

 Cook.) 



Fumigating with Little Trouble. — The following is for a 

 house 20 feet by 12:— Take a sheet of blue Bugar paper and 



