184 ORANGE CULTURE IN FLORIDA. 



the citron tree into Europe that we begin to find 

 among the ancients examples of artificial coverings 

 and shelters against cold. Palladius is the first who 

 speaks of these coverings, but only as appropriate 

 for the citron, and gives no description of them. 

 Florentin, who wrote probably after him, describes 

 them at more length, and it seems by his expres- 

 sions that in his time the citron was covered in the 

 bad season by wooden roofs, which con Id be with- 

 drawn when there was no occasion to defend them 

 from cold, and which also could be arranged to 

 secure for them the rays of the sun. (Florent., bk. 

 10, chap. 7, p. 219.) 



This agricultural Inxury, which began to appear 

 about the time of Palladius and Florentin, must 

 have been entirely destroyed in Italy by the in- 

 vasion of the barbarians. I have remarked that 

 Pierre de Crescenti, who wrote a treatise on agricul- 

 ture in 1300, while treating of the citron, speaks 

 only of walls to defend it from the north, and of 

 some covers of straw. Brunsius and Antonius, 

 quoted by Sprengel, have thought to find in the 

 Statutes of Charlemagne indications of a hot- 

 house. I have closely examined the article cited 

 by those writers (in Comment, de reb. Franc. 

 Orient, bk. 2, p. 902, etc.), but have not found a 

 word that could make me believe this means of 

 preserving delicate plants was employed at that 

 period. I have even remarked that in these ordi- 

 nances many plants are named which Charlemagne 



