54 NAT. ORDER. — POMACEiE. 



India be the original stock from which all the numerous varieties of 

 the orange have been, in the course of time, derived, is a question 

 admitting of no certain answer. The limes in India, and other 

 places, are exactly alike, and bear the same relation to the oram^e 

 that the crabs in our native wilds bear to the apple. 



This fruii tre differs from all others, in bearing two crops of 

 fruit at the same time in different stages of their growth toward 

 perfection ; that is, the young fruit in the spring does not ripen until 

 late in the autumn of the next year, and it frequently hapj)ens that 

 flowers appear before the ripe fruit is gathered. As all the best 

 varieties of the citrus tribe are truly artificial or accidental crea- 

 tions, they cannot be reproduced from their seed. In this respect 

 they are like our garden and orchard fruits; and, therefore must 

 be perpetuated by grafting or budding. The Chinese, who may be 

 called a nation of gardners, possess many varieties of the citrus, and 

 especially some excellent oranges. Their mandarin variety is a 

 very superior fruit, and has the singular property of discharging 

 the rind from the pulp when fully ripe. This kind of orange grows 

 in great abundance, and is purchased at a very low price in the 

 streets of Canton, provided the seller be allowed to strip the fruit 

 and retain the rinds, of which they make some specific use. 



The specific name is derived from minis, gold, color of the fruit. 

 As a desert fruit the orange is well known. The varieties most es- 

 teemed are the China, Portugal, and Maltese. The fruit is also used 

 in confectionary, both ripe and w hen green, and not larger than a 

 pea ; it forms various liquors and conserves, either alone or with su- 

 gars, wines, or with spirits. In cooking it is used to perfume a num- 

 ber of dishes. It is used to form various perfumes and pomades, and 

 the flowers distilled produce orange water, used in cooking, medicine, 

 and as a perfume, but the chief use of the sweet orange, is for the 

 desert. There are nineteen varieties of tlie orange enumerated by 

 Sisso. 



Magorca orange. Fruit globose, shining, with a thick rind and 

 sweet pulp ; the branches are furnished with spines at their base ; 



