646 THE ORANGE. 



suma in mildness and delicacy. Fruit small, round or slightly 

 flattened, with a roughened, bright yellow exterior. Leaves 

 large, like those of the ordinary orange. It is of robust habit, a 

 free bearer, and ripens very early. 



In Florida the earliest varieties of oranges, such as Tan- 

 gerona, Satsuma, Sweet Seville, and Early Oblong, are sweet 

 enough for shipment by the end of September or early in 

 October. About the middle or last of April, owing to the hot 

 and dry weather, and the draught on the trees by the young 

 crop, the fruit remaining becomes over-ripe, loses flavor, and 

 dries up, or becomes too soft and flabby to handle. Valencia 

 Late, Paper-Rind St. Michael, Majorca, and Garey's Mediter- 

 ranean Sweet hold up several weeks longer, but Hart's Late 

 or Tardiff keeps all the year round. This last is being more 

 largely propagated in Florida than any other, and when the 

 trees grow up again Florida oranges will be found in market 

 at all seasons. In southern California oranges ripen later 

 than in Florida, in northern California about the same time 

 and in Arizona somewhat earlier. 



THE LEMON. 



The lemon (Citrus limonum) is supposed to have sprung from 

 the citron and was introduced into Palestine and Egypt by the 

 Arabs in the tenth century, and into Europe at the time of 

 the Crusades. While not so extensively cultivated as the 

 orange, it is far more useful, being indispensable in cookery, 

 confectionery, perfumery, and medicine. The tree is faster 

 growing and larger than the orange, and exhales from every 

 part when bruised a delicious perfume. The flowers are of 

 greater size and tinged with purple. It not only thrives on a 

 poorer soil, but is more productive and patient under neglect, 

 though less hardy against cold. 



The rules for cultivating the orange apply generally to the 

 lemon. To secure the finest and smoothest fruit it should not 

 be allowed to run up to any considerable height, but rather 

 shortened-in and pruned downward. A low, widely spreading 

 tree, sheltered from winds, is best, as the most beautiful 

 lemons grow in partial shade and near the ground. It is gen- 

 erally worked on sweet or sour orange stocks, preferably the 

 latter, as making a tree more hardy and less liable to disease. 

 As a seedling the rind is apt to be bitter, therefore varieties 



