ORANGES AND LEMONS, 13 



Mills in Sardinia there stands a tree whose trunk is 

 thicker than a man can circle with his arms. Its 

 crown (says a traveller) is as majestic as that of an 

 oak. Close by, there is a tree which is said to bear 

 annually more than 5,000 fruits. Lindley mentions 

 another at St. Michaels in the Azores which has been 

 known to produce in one year as many as 20,000 

 Oranges fit for packing, besides the damaged fruit, 

 which may be calculated as one-third more ; but 

 Haputale in Ceylon boasts a Mandarin-tree which 

 has produced the extraordinary crop of 24,000 fruits 

 in one year ! 



The Riviera Orange-trees are ornamental. We 

 send little presents of the flowers to ladies who are 

 about to be married. And strangers fresh from 

 England buy bunches of the fruits to decorate their 

 rooms. When more leathery than usual, they may 

 be utilised as cricket balls ; but I could not honestly 

 recommend them for this or any other purpose. A 

 writer, who cannot be accused of prejudice, says that 

 the mere thought of a Mentone Orange sets the teeth 

 on edge ! And those from the banks of the Paillon 

 are not much sweeter. Yet stay, there is one use to 

 which a Nicois Orange might be put. They might 

 be good for boot blacking ! Cut your Orange in two ; 

 rub the juicy part on a sooty pot or kettle, then apply 

 it to the boot ; polish with a soft brush, and it shines 

 at once. In some of the great Orange-growing 

 districts the worthless fruits are thus turned to 

 account. 



The Greeks and Romans of classical times knew 

 nothing of the Orange. Neither those golden apples 

 of the Hesperides, nor yet the magic fruits which 



