698 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



The soil of these islands, though generally thin, is fairly productivft if rain does not 

 fail too much during the summer months; and it is observed that the best oranges 

 are raised on rather a sandy soil; those from richer ground being thicker skinned and 

 deficient in flavor. 



The climate is decidedly a damp one, but equable in temperature. The mean an- 

 nual temperature, deduced from three daily observations of a Fahrenheit thermom- 

 eter properly placed in the shade, I found to be 6^% the maximum observed bemg 

 80' and the minimum 44°. 



G. H. HEAP, CONSUL-GENERAL, CONSTANTINOPLE. 



Oranrjes and lemons. — The orange and lemon are grafted upon seedling stocks of 

 the wild orange, as it has been found that the wild tree bears the cold better. The 

 trees are usually planted about 18 feet apart. - Orchards and orange gardens are to 

 be found tliriving in almost every situation for the cultivation of tlie grajie, but they 

 give the best results when situated on hULsides or gentle slopes, wh(.^re, together with 

 a good supply of moisture underground, they are exposed to a gentle hefit by day, 

 and fresh cool breezes by night. They never prove successful when the ground is 

 dami) for long in the summer or is not properly drained. Both oranges and lemons 

 thrive on a rich soil, and succeed well on strong clay with moderate care and atten- 

 tion. 



Although it is not the best situation for them, both lemons and oranges can be 

 grown close to the sea-coast; they flourish almost anywhere as long as their roots do 

 not come in contact with salt water. 



There is a system of irrigation in general use. When the trees are young they axe 

 generally well watered by hand dm-ing summer if rains are not frequent. 



Oranges, when gathered for export, should not be quite ripe. Those fully formed 

 and with the color just turning from green to yellow are chosen. They are wrapped 

 in fine paper or in the husk of Indian corn. A tree 20 feet in height and occupying a 

 space of about 20 feet in diameter will frequently yield from 3,000 to 4,000 oranges 

 annually. Many trees live from one hundi-ed to one hundred and fifty years. As 

 lemons are more profitable to grow than oranges, on account of their keeping qual- 

 ities and their being less liable to injury during voyages, their cultivation is pre- 

 ferred in many parts of the Levant. The lemons are gathered gi-een; the finest are 

 picked out and packed in cases containing about 420 fruits; also in boxes, three of 

 which are equal to two cases, each lemon being separately wi-apped in paper. 



The little island of Andros produces 10,000,000 of lemons annually ; they are ex- 

 ported to Constantinople, the ports of the Black Sea, and those of the Danube, real- 

 izing an average price of $4.80 to $5.75 per 1,000. A similar quantity of excellent 

 quality is exported from the larger island of Ohio, where they are gathered in May, 

 and a second crop in November and December. 



Great numbers of sweet lemons are grown in the islands of the Archipelago and 

 the disti'icts around Smyrna. The juice of these is sweet, and is much used by calico 

 printers in patterns with dyes containing iron, to produce greater clearness in the 

 white parts. 



The gi-eater part of the oranges are grown in Candia and in Syria, especially in 

 the neighborhood of Jaffa. In Paros, Mitylene, Tenedos, and Samos both oranges 

 and lemons are largely cultivated for exportation. The dried and candied rind of 

 the bitter orange, known as ' ' orange-peel," is largely used in flavoring confectionery. 



M. M. FOTTION, CONSULAR AGENT, MYTILENK. 



Every variety of orange and lemon tree is grown here, but the most valuable are 

 the Parakila orange trees, so-called from the village Parakila, and the Kau orange 

 trees, so-called from theu- blood-red color. The Parakila trees produce large fruits; 

 the fruit from the Kau trees is very sweet. The orange and lemon trees hero are 

 either budded or gi-afted. They come into bearing the fom-th year and remain fruit- 

 ful for fifty years. Orchards are found in every place, but they yield best results on 

 the sea-coast. No system of artificial irrigation is practiced. They prune here at 

 the end of March, with very great attention, and they give to the tree regular, ele- 

 gant, and graceful forms. As soon as the pinning is finished the working of the 

 soil is commenced, and they dig the soil witli n spado to the depth of 25 to 30 milli- 

 metei's in the clear spots, tiut only 2 or 3 inclies deep in the vicinity of the trees. 

 Later, two or tliree baskets of manure are distributed around each tree, and at the 

 end of May the ground is irrigated once in every week or two weeks, according to 

 the season, the position, and quality of the grouiid in summer. Irrigation is sus- 

 pended during the autumn and winter. 



