BOOK III. CHAP. Vlir. 797 



They thrive beft in a brick-mould foil ; I have feen the China 

 orange, produced from a tree growing in fuch a foil, fo exquilicely 

 fweet, that when the fruit was ripe, the whole rind was covered with 

 a Jaccharine farina. 



The fhaddocks,in general, are but indifferent ; moft of thein inclin- 

 ing to a white pulp or flefli, and a watery bitterifli juice, greatly infe- 

 rior to the Eaft India fruit. Mr. Miller accounts for this by runark- 

 ing, that by conftantly raifing thefe trees from the feeds, the fruit dege- 

 nerates continually; whereas, if the inhabitants would only bud or ino- 

 culate from the good fort, they might have it in as great plenty as they 

 pleafed : but that they refign the whole to nature, feidom giving them- 

 felves any further trouble, than to put the feeds in the ground, and 

 leave them to grow as nature fhall incline. This obfervation of his is 

 perfeftly true ; and, perhaps, their pradice is not fo much the effeft of 

 carelellhefs, as the want of knowing how to perform the inoculation j 

 for which reafon, I fhall give the method recommended by that inge- 

 nious writer, which is very prafticable in Jamaica, and where we 

 may hope to fee it adopted; fmce it is furely fome fatisfadlion to pofiefs 

 fo favourite a fruit in its moft perfedl and delicious ftate, whether for 

 confumption within theifland, or for exportation. I am the rather in- 

 duced to this, upon finding that oranges are an article of export from 

 fome of the Northern colonies, where they ca-tainly cannot be brought 

 to the fame degree of goodnefs, of which they are capable, with mode- 

 rate culture, in this ifland i for, in faft, the fineft China orange I ever ate 

 in England, was not comparable to the worft 1 havetafted in Jamaica. 



The exports from Charks Town, South Carolina, in the year i 747,, 

 comprehended 296,000 oranges; in 1761, 161,000. Whence it ap- 

 pears, that this fruit is as much an eftablifhed commodity for their ex- 

 port, as it is at Lilbon, or Seville, and may, with propriety, be made 

 fuch at Jamaica ► 



The manner of performing the inoculation is as follows : you muft. 

 be provided with a fharp penknite, having a flat haft (the ufe of whicti 

 is to raife the bark of the ftock to admit the bud), and fome found mat,, 

 which fhould be foaked in water to increafe its ftrength ; the various 

 barks ufed tor making ropes in this ifland, will anlvver this purpofe full 

 as well. Then having taken off the cuttings, or young fliootSj from, 

 the trees you would propagate, you Ihould choofe a fmooth part of th3 



flock. 



