The Orange. 181 



derive our chief supplies of the fruit. The best are the 

 Valentias, so agreeably acidulous, from Spain; and the 

 St. Michael's, from the Azores, pale yellow, and rather 

 small. About a hundred millions come annually from 

 the former localities, and about double that number from 

 the Azores; Fayal, Terceira, and St. Mary's contributing 

 their shares, though St. Michael's gives name to the whole. 

 It has been computed that about twenty-five millions out 

 of these three hundred are annually sold in the streets and 

 places of public resort in the metropolis. In the Azores 

 the plantations vary in extent from an acre to upwards 

 of sixty acres. The winds being vehement, and a saline 

 atmosphere injurious to the very young buds in early 

 spring, they are surrounded by tall hedges of camellia, 

 loquat, Cryptomeria Japonica, and Cunonia Capensis. 

 On account of the weight of the fruit, the branches are 

 supported by props, and underneath them are patches of 

 lupines, which, after decay, are dug into the ground to 

 serve as manure. The annual average yield of the trees 

 is fifteen hundred fruit fit for export, not including 

 damaged ones and failures. They are capable of far 

 greater individual fecundity ; the productiveness increases 

 with age ; when at the tip-top of strength an orange-tree 

 will produce the marvellous number of twelve to sixteen 

 thousand. The gathering for the British market is made 

 before the fruit is quite ripe, beginning in October and 

 extending to the new year. To become perfectly ripe 

 it would have to be left upon the trees till spring. The 

 very best are those which, like Sir Isaac's apple, drop 



