CtTRIC ACID. 



site coast of Calabria, separated from Sicily only by 

 the narrow channel called the Faro of Messina, is 

 one continuous grove of oranges and lemons. When 

 the establishment was first attempted, the Calabrias 

 and all the rest of the continental dominions of the 

 king of the two Sicilies were occupied by the French, 

 and closed to us ; but now, as integral parts of the 

 same kingdom and from their contiguity, the most 

 intimate intercourse subsists between them and Sicily. 

 From the produce of its own hills, and from fruit 

 obtained from Scylla, Reggio, &c. in Calabria, Mes- 

 sina with proper manufactories might almost supply 

 Europe. 



The time of pressing the fruit is generally in the 

 latter end of November or December, for until that 

 period lemons yield little or no juice. So great 

 a quantity of lemons is required to obtain a compa- 

 ratively small quantity of citrate of lime, that the 

 expressing of their juice in the establishment in 

 question was conducted on a large scale, presses 

 being so constructed as to squeeze many thousand 

 lemons at once. No difficulty was therefore found 

 in saturating the chalk in any quantity ; but to dry 

 the citrate of lime sufficiently to be packed for expor- 

 tation was extremely tedious and troublesome. It 

 requires very hot and dry weather to produce this 

 result, and sometimes it was spread out a whole fort- 

 night before it was perfectly dry. In this manner it 

 occupied so much room that the work was frequently 

 stopped, because all the drying places were full ; 

 although the use of a vast terrace belonging to a 

 neighbouring convent had been obtained for the 

 purpose. 



The conductor of this establishment for making 

 citrate of lime remarked, that " he found as much 

 difference in lemon juice as in wine, and both have 

 more or less body according to the particular soil on 



