24 STATE BOABD OF HORTICULTURE. 



The flower of the orange is nothing but a transformed 

 branch, either coming out of the axilla of an ordinary leaf or 

 from that of an abortive leaf, usually called a bract. This 

 transformed branch, or flower, in the orange, consists of sev- 

 eral whorls or transformed leaves, viz: the calyx whorl, the 

 corolla whorl, the stamina whorl or whorls, and ovary whorl 

 or whorls. The latter, in the citrus fruit, consists ordinarily 

 of two distinct whorls the outer or rind whorl, and the inner 

 or pulp whorl. The flowers of the greater species are single 

 possessing an abundance of pollen. Double flowers are often 

 produced by the growth of additional whorls or petals. 



Double flowers have a tendency to fruit-doubling. The 

 peculiarity of these fruits exists in the ovary before fertiliza- 

 tion, and the fruit exhibiting it may develop without having 

 been fertilized. It has rarely any seeds, and when present are 

 very small and imperfect. Such instances of seedless fruit 

 plainly show that the so-called superfcetation could not have 

 been the result of excess fertilization, as there are no germs to 

 be fertilized, and even if there are any, they must be so imper- 

 fect that no fertilization can take place. This result might 

 also occur from imperfection of the sexual organs. 



The orange within orange is nothing but a doubling of the 

 fruit or ovary whorls. It is the result of the doubling of the 

 flower. Gallesio says: "Certain varieties, like the double- 

 flowered bergamot, when not highly cultivated and left to 

 themselves, lose by degrees the character of giving double 

 flowers and bear only single ones." 



Artificial fecundation whenever applied has given varying 

 results, and when the action was effected upon the ovules the 

 fruit was not modified, but the ovules grew into seeds, which 

 when planted produced trees and fruit entirely distinct from 

 the parent trees. 



Fecundation is effected naturally among pollen-producing 

 flowers by insects, birds, the wind, and by friction. The 

 moment the flowers reach maturity and are ready for fecunda- 

 tion the stigma of the pistil appears as if gummed with a 

 honey-like substance, and serves to retain the dust-like pollen 

 when applied to it. The flower with which to effect fecunda- 

 tion must be taken when nearly ready to bloom, must be 

 thrifty, the corolla removed, and the anthers rubbed upon the 

 stigma to be fructified. The operation is repeated until the 



