142 The Wild Orange of the South. 



THE WILD ORANGE OF THE SOUTH. 



In the extreme Southern States of our Union, but especially in two of 

 them, Texas and Florida, large groves of wild oranges are found growing 

 in a wild or uncultivated state. These are of two kinds, — the sour and the 

 bitter-sweet. 



In Florida, these wild groves are found in the rich hummocks, and vary 

 much in extent, — from a few solitary trees in dense hummocks amongst the 

 heavier-growing timber, as live-oak, ash, iiickory, maple, and palmetto, to 

 large groves of some hundred acres or more in extent. Groves are said 

 to exist in Florida which cover five hundred acres, with seldom any other 

 : trees amongst them except a few scattering live-oaks. These groves do not 

 ; always consist of one variety of orange, but often are composed of both 

 ■ sour and bitter-sweet ; though, as a general thing, the bitter-sweet has its 

 ' own particular part of the grove. The fruit of the bitter-sweet orange is 

 quite pleasant when denuded of the white portion of the rind and skin ; 

 for dien the parenchyma is as pleasant to the taste as a sweet orange. It 

 is much 'Iryc:', or con*^ains less juice, than either the sour or sweet. The 

 skin is thicker than a sweet orange, but differs very little from that of 

 the sour orange, being lighter colored. While on the tree, the best judges 

 could not detect any diffcence between them. The sour orange has a thick 

 skin, or rind, often an inch ^hick ; and has a very acid pulp, v/ith a great 

 'quantity of juice : it equals in cicid'*^y tl"e lemon "^r lime, and "s mrch used 

 in Florida in place of the lime or lemon. Both the sour and bitter-sweet 

 grow to an immense size ; specimens being often found that measure five 

 dr six inches in diameter. They are quite prolific, and seldom fail to pro- 

 duce a full crop. 



Probably no writer can so wield the pen as to describe the beauties of 

 a grove of fifteen or twenty acres of orange-trees in full bloom. It is a 

 sight to' be seen, not to be described. Were one to try to describe it, he 

 would be considered as drawing largely on the imagination. It is difficult 

 to convey an idea of thousands of full-grown, healthy orange-trees in full 

 bloom, and yet full of golden fruit, the rich perfume from the blossom-laden 

 trees, the beautiful fruit, the dense shade, the multitudes of sweet-singing 



