THE ORANGE, 



ally eaten instead of "sucked" as one is acid. Assuming 7 per cent as the usual 



tempted to do with the other softer or- average, it will be noted that the Eureka 



anges. is nearly as much above it as the Lisbon 



The Mediterranean Sweet and the St. is below. The limes stand nearly at tlie 



Michael dispute precedence, according as same point as the Lisbon, but show a con- 



indivdual tastes differ in respect to size siderable higher proportion of pulp as 



and flavor; but the St. Michael seems to well as of juice then either of the two 



have a greater firmness of flesh in its fav- lemons, being fully 13 per cent above the 



or. The refreshing acidity and peculiar Lisbon in the latter respect, 



flavor of the Blood orange place it in a dif- While these comparisons will probably 



ferent category from the other three. hold good in general as between these 



The first six columns, however, furnish varieties, the absolute figures (percentages) 



food for additional consideration, especial- must be taken with allowance for the pe- 



ly when oranges are sold by the piece or culiarity of the season of 1884, with its un- 



thousand and not by weight. The Medi- usual rains and low temperature. A ref- 



terranean Sweet shows a slightly heavier erence to the analysis made in 1879 (see 



weight then the Navel, but the larger pro- the report of the College of Agriculture for 



portion of pulp in the latter more then that year, pp. 59 and 60) shows a much 



makes up for the difference. Owing to an higher average of both sugar and acid for 



accident, the proportion of juice to pulp the oranges and of acid for the lemons; 



was not determined in the case of the the proportion of pulp also seems to have 



Mediterranean Sweet; in the Navel the been higher throughout, 



figures show it to have been about 59 E. W. HILGARD. 



per cent, whereas in the St. Micheals it Berkeley, May 22, 1885. 

 goes as high as 65.6, in the Malta to 66.3 



per cent. The latter two are, therefore, ANALYSIS OF THE ORANGE. 



quite materially more juicy than the Navel, Composition of the ashes of the fruit: 



nence more delicate in transportation. Mineral 



The St. Michaels show the highest per- Constituents. Percent. Percent! 



centageof pulp of all, notwithstanding the Potash 20.15 15.28 



relative abundance of seed; and hence a Soda 10.22 12.14 



given weight of this variety would furnish ^S^V/^^r.^^n ^ol TlG 



the largest amount of eatable pulp,while if Phosphoric acid................ 20.04 18.24 



bought per thousand, the light weight of Sulphuric acid 1.08 4.14 



the fruit would leave the consumer mate- Silicic acid 4.50 



rially "short" ascompared with the Navel Loss!.!L!?"Z.'.'.V".'.'.'.'.T.'.'. <X62 1.29 



or Mediterranean Sweet. Comparing the '- 



earlier fruit with that analysed six weeks 100.00 100.00 



later, there is in the case of both'the Nav- Ashes of the fruifc 3 ' 57 3 ' 48 



el and St. Micheal a decided decrease of Composition of the trunk, branches and 



both sugar and acid ; exactly the reverse leay es : Trunks and 



of what would have been looked for, as Branches Leaves. 



these ingredients might have been sup- Potash ^iVlS*' ^oTs"*' 



posed to be concentrated by evaporation. Soda......... ...!!!."................ 10.67 10.82 



There is therefore a true deterioration in Lime 31.57 41.22 



oranges kept beyond the point of proper Magnesia. 10.64 6.53 



.ipenes S ,thata m p ly justi fl eslhepreferenee SS^SC^: ii % 'g 



of consumers for the freshest fruit. Silicic acid 2.82 5.48 



As regards the lemons, the comparison Iron and loss 6.44 1.77 



between the Lisbon and Eureka tells ToCKK) 10000 



strongly in favor of the latter. It is larger Azoe of the leaves 1.57 1.60 



and has a higher percentage of pulp as Ashes of the leaves 6.32 6.20 



well as juice, while at the same time the The orange trees above analyzed were 



latter is considerably richer in citric from Alcira, (Valencia), Spain. 



