LEMON CULTURE. 153 



year, two years, and though the tree still lived, that was 

 all it did do ; a few weakly blossoms came straggling out, 

 gave a weary, hopeless sigh, and sank to the ground. 



Then the owner of the tree resolved to cut it down, root 

 and branch, but the gentle housewife pleaded for its ex- 

 istence ; it was near the dwelling, and sickly as it was it 

 gave some needed shelter. 



' ' Very well, then, let it stay ; but I '11 do nothing more 

 with it. I '11 let it alone entirely." 



So it was "let alone," and that was the greatest boon 

 that could have been granted that unhappy tree. Slowly 

 and cautiously, as though fearful of attracting attention, 

 and hearing more sharp, cutting remarks on its behavior, 

 it put forth new branches low down on its trunk. They 

 grew on until their drooping leaves shaded it once more ; 

 then the top took a start, and all through the season it 

 grew, becoming more and more vigorous. In the spring 

 it set a hundred or more fine lemons, and the next year 

 bore a heavy crop, just because it was " let alone." 



Again, while orange groves may be planted with profit 

 on hammock lands, a lemon grove can not. The trees will 

 not flourish at all in the hammocks ; we do not know why. 

 No explanation of the cause has ever been given, but the 

 fact remains, even with regard to high hammocks. 



The lemon requires a dryer soil than the orange ; hence 

 some locations that suit the latter will not answer at all for 

 the former. The quality of the soil, however, is not of so 

 much importance for the lemon tree as it is for the orange, 

 the latter being a grosser feeder. The lemon will grow 

 well and thriftily where its more epicurean sister would 

 languish for want of food. 



As a rule, the lemon tree is less hardy than the orange ; 

 a degree of cold that does no harm to the latter wilts the 

 young growth of the lemon and causes its leaves to drop. 



