1160 



ORANGE 



ORCHID 



The foot-hill region of the Sierras was soon found to 

 be capable of producing fine Oranges, notably in Placer 

 county; later on in Kern, Tulare, and Fresno counties, 

 and in the whole of the Sacramento and San Joaquin 

 valleys were found large areas where Oranges could be 

 grown as fine as those in southern California, and in 

 some instances they were found to ripen earlier. 



In some places, notably about Oroville in Butte 

 county, near the extreme northern part of the Sacra- 

 mento valley, the citrous industry thrives, side by side 

 with gold-mining. The red, mineral lands, with abun- 

 dance of water carried in ditches from the high moun- 

 tains, grow to perfection the Washington Navel and 

 other Oranges. 



Though the temperature of the great San Joaquin 

 valley is lower in winter than at points nearer the coast, 

 the summers are warmer, and the Orange thrives in the 

 sunshine, away from the coast fog, and the trees are 

 healthier and less affected by scale insects. 



The so-called "thermal belt" comprises some 1.500,000 

 acres of land adapted to the cultivation of the Orange 

 commercially, and in every part of California, with ex- 

 ceptions above noted, Oranges may be grown in a small 

 way, to satisfy the taste and embellish the home 

 surroundings. This "belt" runs from San Diego to 

 Teharna, and is nearly 700 miles long, and from two or 

 three to twenty-five miles wide. Its altitude does not 

 exceed 1,800 feet above sea-level, and from that down 

 to 30 feet. 



Orange seedlings were grown mostly from seed of 

 imported Tahiti Oranges, and later from miscellaneous 

 seed from any varieties. Seed from the Florida Sour 

 stock has been largely used, but does not give general 

 satisfaction. The young plants are budded in the nur- 

 sery at two years old, and transplanted one or two years 

 later to the orchard. Very many large, old trees have 

 been "worked over," because the variety was found to 

 be unprofitable. There are several ways of doing this, 

 perhaps the most successful being to cut back the top of 

 the tree, and to bud into the young shoots that will grow 

 as a result of this cutting. In three years the old tree will 

 have a new top, frequently with a good crop of fruit. 



The Orange is a gross feeder, throwing out many and 

 widely-spreading roots, and for this reason, though the 

 soil may be naturally rich, it is necessary that it be 

 plentifully supplied with fertilizers as well as water. 

 This is done systematically and regularly, the trees be- 

 ing irrigated not less than once a month through the 

 summer by means of shallow furrows opened by the 

 plow on either side of the row. 



The varieties considered most valuable for market are 

 Washington Navel, Paper-rind, St. Michael, Malta Blood, 

 Jaffa, Mediterranean Sweet, Parson Brown, Homosassa, 

 and some of the Tangerine varieties. Of all these the 

 Washington Navel is by far the most valuable. The first 

 trees were imported from Brazil by William Saunders, 

 of Washington, D. C., in 1870, and by him sent from 

 there to California in 1873. The fruit is seedless, which 

 adds to its value. Oranges are cut from the tree with 

 small shears in preference to being pulled. After they 

 have been kept in the packing-house for a few days to 

 allow the rind to shrink, they are graded and packed in 

 the regulation case, which is ll/^x 11^x26 inches. 

 This work is done with the utmost care, and by exper- 

 ienced, skilled hands. 



The output of Oranges from California, for the last two 

 seasons (1897-8 and 1898-9), has reached the enormous 

 amount for each season of 14,000 car loads, or 4,000,000 

 boxes, representing a value of about $6,000,000, f. o. b. 

 California. LEONARD COATES. 



ORANGE, OS AGE. See Toxylon. 



ORANGE ROOT. Same as Golden Seal, Hydrastis 

 Canadensis. 



ORCHARD. In America the word Orchard is used 

 for any laid-out plantation of fruit trees. It is not ap- 

 plied to bush-fruit plantations, as it is sometimes in 

 England. The Orchard is apart of every typical Ameri- 

 can homestesd, although it may be of very small extent. 

 The universal Orchard, except in the warmest parts, is 

 the apple Orchard ; pears and plums are probably next 

 in domestic importance. Consult Pomology, 



ORCHARD GRASS. Dactylis glomerata. 



ORCHARD HOUSE, a name frequently used in Eng- 

 land for glasshouses devoted to fruit trees. Consult the 

 article on Forcing of Fruits, p. 598 (Vol. II.) of this 

 work. 



ORCHID. The Orchids are perennial herbs distin- 

 guished from other monocotyledons by the union of the 

 stamens and pistils with the floral axis, forming a 

 unilateral column. With the exception of the Cypri- 

 pedineae only 1 anther and 2 stigmas are fertile; in 

 the Cypripedinese 2 anthers and all 3 stigmas are 

 fertile. The nearest relatives of the Orchids are the 

 Scitaminaceae. The Orenids form a vast group of plants 

 (about 10,000 species) which, on account of the unusual 

 transformation of their flowers, their strange shapes 

 and glowing colors, and their varied adaptations for 

 securing cross-pollination, are amongst the most fasci- 

 nating of all families of plants. 



PART I. POPULAR ACCOUNT OF ORCHIDS. 



The peculiar interest which attaches to Orchids is due, 

 in a great measure, to the endless variation of the 

 flowers. Few Orchids not in flower are remarkable for 

 their beauty. The barren canes of Dendrobium or the 

 shriveled leafless pseudobulbs of Pleione are curious 

 but scarcely beautiful. In many groups the color of the 

 flower is of secondary importance. Many of the highly 

 prized Cypripediums have only modest colors, while 

 some cacti have brilliantly colored and lasting flowers, 

 yet these have not become general favorites. 



The great variety of the Orchid flower is produced, 

 not by the creation of new organs, but, as everywhere 

 else in nature, by the modification of parts already 

 existing. The general plan of the Orchid blossom is like 

 that of most of the flowering monocotyledons, as, for 

 example, the lily. 



The Sepals. Of all the floral organs the sepals are 

 usually least modified. They can be easily recognized. 

 In some cases, however, they are sufficiently modified to 

 change the appearance of the flower. Often the lower 

 pair are more or less or entirely united (Oncidium, 

 Cypripedium). In Masdevallia all the sepals are united 

 into a short tube and then expand into blades terminat- 

 ing in long curious tails. 



The Petals. Of the second whorl of floral organs two 

 only are generally petal-like, the third being trans- 

 formed into the labellum. The two similar petals usually 

 resemble the dorsal sepal. This resemblance is often 

 carried out to a striking degree, which is most remark- 

 able in cases in which these organs are unusually modi- 

 fied (Oncidium Papilio). Some peculiar modifications 

 of the petals exist. In Selenipediiim caudatum ( Fig. 1563 ) 

 they are elongated to an almost ludicrous extent, often 

 attaining a length of three feet. In this species peloric 

 flowers occur in which the third petal or lip is also 

 petal-like (Uropedlum Lindeni). In many other in- 

 stances the petals differ greatly in size and form from 

 the sepals ( Bullophyllum, Masdevallia). 



The I/abellum.The form or type of the flower 

 depends greatly on the character of the labellum. This 

 is the most wonderful and most modified of all the 

 floral organs. It is often the most conspicuous part of 

 the flower and is of the greatest importance to the 

 plants, as Darwin has shown, in attracting insects and 

 guiding them to the nectar, and hence to the pollen and 

 stigmas of the plants. In Cypripedium and related 

 genera the lip has the form of a sac often compared to 

 a shoe, as the name Lady's Slipper indicates. The sides 

 of the sac are folded inward, surrounding the column in 

 such a way that an insect which has entered the label- 

 lum must crawl out through a narrow opening near the 

 anther, which is thus brushed. Some of the pollen 

 adhering to the body of the insect is thus carried to the 

 stigma of another flower. 



One of the most common forms which the labellum 

 assumes is that of a trumpet-like tube inclosing the 

 column. The front portion is expanded into a large, 

 variously-shaped blade, which is often of a deeper color 

 than the rest of the flower. The color becomes more 

 intense toward the tube or throat of the labellum, which 

 is further ornamented by ridges, crests, and markings, 

 all of which serve to guide insects to the pol-len masses 



