The "Suntara" Oranges. 45 



in a semi-wild state. In the chapter on the cultiva- 

 tion of the citrus, I have described the mode of raising 

 it in the Khasia hills. Primd facie, judging from its 

 numerous varieties that now exist all over India, and 

 from its semi-wild state all along the north-eastern 

 frontier, it might appear an indigenous type of orange. 

 It is not improbable, however, that it only became 

 naturalized there at a very remote period, 



In Lahore it is now called karna or sungtara. In 

 Delhi it is grown extensively under the name of 

 sintra or rungtra. In Bengal under the name of 

 kamlah. In the Central Provinces it is largely grown 

 as the stint ara orange. In South India, under various 

 other names, and in Ceylon, under the name of jawa 

 narun, and also kbnda narun* All these are 

 varieties of one and the same orange, most commonly 

 known by the name of suntara, a pleasant mixture of 

 sub-acid and sweet pulp, enveloped by a very loose 

 and aromatic skin. It varies from the very sweet, 

 such as the sdntola of Butwal in Nepal, to a sour- 

 sweet orange. The surkh nimboo, the hazara, and 

 the kumquat, I consider as varieties much allied to the 

 suntara orange, all three are quite sour, and never 

 sweeten. 



Although in many parts of India it is grown side 

 by side with the Portugal type of oranges, the suntara 

 is a totally different kind of orange, and has scarcely 

 anything in common with them, more than the 

 characters of the genus. 



We are now beginning to see through the tangle of 

 sweet oranges, and are able to separate them into two 

 distinct types the Portugal or Malta orange type 



* Both these Ceylon varieties are pictured in Miss North's 

 Gallery, No. 226, Royal Gardens, Kevv. The kbnda narun, is the 

 green orange. The other is the jawa narun. 



