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cultivated and growing in a congenial soil and situation, the trees will 

 often attain a great size and age. There are in Spain and Italy trees 

 whose ages are said to range from one hundred and fifty to two hundred 

 years, and they are still healthy and vigorous. In the convent of St. 

 Sabina, at Rome, there was an Orange tree thirty-two feet high, said to 

 be over six hundred years old ; and at Nice there was a tree over fifty 

 feet high, with a trunk that took two men to embrace it, and yielding 

 from six thousand to seven thousand fruit every year. One of the 

 largest and finest Orange trees in France grew at Versailles, and was 

 known in the neighbourhood as the Grand Bourbon. It was raised from 

 seed which is said to have been sown in 1421. We have also records of 

 trees grown at Beddirigton, Surrey, England which were grown under 

 shelter and attained an age of more than a hundred years. These trees 

 were obtained from seeds sown by Sir Francis Carew, who obtained them 

 from his uncle, the celebrated Sir Walter Raleigh. At Hampton Court 

 Oranges were also successfully grown under the same conditions, some of 

 which are stated to have attained an age of over two hundred years. 

 These instances are mentioned to show that the Orange is one of the 

 longest-lived fruit trees if it meets with congenial treatment. But though 

 the trees of this family are vigorous and long-lived when growing under 

 the most favourable conditions, yet they are not likely to- give much 

 satisfaction to growers unless they are well and rationally treated. The 

 wants of this family are peculiar, and differ to some extent from those of 

 other fruit trees. The writer believes that the chief cause of non-success 

 in Orange culture is not so much due to the effects of soil and , climate as 

 carelessness or ignorance in the treatment of the trees. Too many people 

 who plant Orange and other fruit trees seem to think that after an 

 orchard is fairly started, and the trees have made a few years growth, no 

 farther assistance or care is required except to keep down the weeds. 

 This class of cultivators expect to take from the trees heavy crops year 

 after year with little attention, and are surprised when they begin to fail 

 in vigour. When not carefully attended to and supplied with proper 

 nourishment, trees must necessarily begin to fail when comparatively 

 young, and when this occurs the cultivator generally blames either the 

 climate, soil, season, or insects instead of ascribing the failure to the true 

 causes neglect and starvation. 



REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITRUS FAMILY. 



From a careful consideration of the subject, based upon many years' 

 experience and observation, the writer believes the essential conditions 

 for the successful culture of the Orange family to be as follows: 



1. A suitable climate and soil. 



'2. The perfect preparation of the soil. 



3. The selection of healthy young trees. 



4. A full and regular supply of congenial food for the trees. 



5. A supply of water during periods of drought. 



6. To disturb the roots as little as possible. 



7. To keep the ground free from weeds and other undergrowth. 



8. Shelter from strong winds. 



