ORANGE-TREE. 317 



The Seville Orange is the most hardy, and has the 

 largest and most beautiful leaves. The China Orange 

 rarely produces good fruit in England : the varieties with 

 striped leaves never produce it good, nor do they bear so 

 many blossoms as the plain ones. 



To have Oranges in perfection, it is considered neces- 

 sary to graft the trees, even in the warm countries of which 

 they are natives : " We rode deeper into the wood, and 

 refreshed ourselves with wild Oranges (laranja da terra), 

 which have a mawkish, sweet taste. Oranges, to be good, 

 must be grafted; even in Brazil, if suffered to grow wild, 

 the fruit is flat and rather bitter. Their flowers emitted a 

 delicious smell, and attracted a great number of humming- 

 birds." PRINCE MAXIMILIAN'S TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, page 

 76. 



In another part of his work, the same author says : 

 " The heat was intense ; we therefore refreshed ourselves 

 with cold punch and excellent Oranges, which in many 

 parts may be had gratis. This excellent fruit can be eaten 

 without injury to the health, even when a person is over- 

 heated ; but in the evening it is. said not to be wholesome. 

 Much more caution is necessary in eating cocoa-nuts and 

 other cooling fruits." Page 61. 



The Brazilians are probably the only people who think 

 so much caution necessary in eating oranges, as to refrain 

 from their use in the evening. 



The following passage may be found in a note in Roster's 

 Brazil: " Labat says, 'On employe le sue des oranges 

 aigres avec un succes merveilleux et infaillible & gu6rir les 

 ulceres, quelque vieux et opiniatres qu'ils puissent etre *.' 

 The orange is cut into two pieces, and is rubbed violently 

 upon the wound. 1 ' Vol. ii. page 196. 



* They employ the juice of sour oranges with wonderful and in- 

 fallible success in the cure of ulcers, however old and obstinate. 



