266 



ORANGE. CITRUS. AURA NTIUM. 



Natural order, Bicornes. A genus of the Polyadelphia 

 Icosandria class. 



*' Here orange-trees with blooms and pendants shine, 

 Arid vernal honours to their autumn join ; 

 Exceed their promise in the ripen'd store, 

 Yet in the rising blossom promise more. 



Pope. 



THE derivation of the generic name of this fruit is un- 

 certain. Some say it is from a place in Asia so called. 

 Vossius states the Latins derived it from Africa, while 

 others affirm that it is an Arabic word. 



The China, or sweet oranges, with which this country 

 is now so amply supplied, and at such moderate prices, 

 that all classes of society enjoy them as perfectly as if 

 they had been indigenous to the climate, were not known 

 to the ancient Europeans. They were first brought into 

 Europe by Juan de Castro, a celebrated Portuguese war- 

 rior, who made them a present to the Conde Mellor, the 

 king of Portugal's prime minister, who was only able to 

 raise one plant from a great number that were brought to 

 Europe. This tree, which was planted in 1548, and from 

 which all the European orange-trees of this sort were pro- 

 duced, is said to be now alive at Lisbon, in the garden 

 of Count S. Laurent. 



The Romans had endeavoured to cultivate the citrus 

 before the Christian era, for the beauty of the tree and its 



