THe JOURNAL 



OF 



BOTANIC A 



T^Iie department of Mgncufture. 



Vol. VII. Part 2. 



10th February, 1909. 



DC 

 D. 



THE ORANGE IN EASTERN SPAIN. 



F. de Castella, Government Viliculturisi. 



In the rich irrigated lands of Eastern Spain orange culture has during 

 the last few decades become one of the most popular rural industries. The 

 vine, the olive, and the algarrobo find their home in dry situations above 

 the level of the water channels, known loc;illy as Scano, but the orange 

 is only cultivated in the rich irrigable land which constitutes the Huertas 

 or garden plains of which there are several in the region. Wherever the 

 soil of these is free, rich and well drained one is bound to meet with the 

 orange and sometimes also the lemon, though the former tree is by far the 

 more widely cultivated of the two in Spain. The orange is one of the 

 features of the landscape in the Levante, as the Eastern coast of Spain 

 is usually known to Spaniards. Travelling south, from Barcelona, one 

 crosses the Ebro near Tortosa and shortly afterwards orange plantations 

 are to be seen. These become more and more numerous until, near Cas- 

 tellon de la Plana, the whole country side becomes one vast orange grove. 

 The trees, laden as they were at the time of my visit with a heaw crop of 

 handsome fruit, presented a sight not easily forgotten. Here and there 

 other crops displace it, but wherever soil conditions are specially suitable 

 the orange once more occupies the land to the exclusion of other cultures. 

 In this way we have several distinct orange centres, among the most im- 

 portant of which are Castellon, Carcagente, and Gandia, as well as several 

 areas in the Huerta de Valencia itself. 



Unfortunately, over production appears to be making itself severely 

 felt and "el desastre naranjera " (the orange disaster) was a frequent 

 heading to local newspaper articles whilst I was in Valencia. Oranges 

 were being sold at the orchards, unpacked, at from 5 to 8 pesetas per loo 

 kilos, or £^2 to ^2> 3S- per ton. At such prices there can evidently be 

 little profit for the grower, even in a country where labour costs onlv is. 66. 

 to 2s. per day of over ten hours. I was told on good authority that if the 

 grower cannot get lo pesetas per i,ooo oranges he loses money. Within 

 the last five years oranges have been worth as much as 28 to 30 pesetas 

 per 1,000 ; such prices have led to extensive plantation entailing over pro- 

 duction, which is to blame for the present unsatisfactory situation. 



53. C 



