402 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Excessive dampness and humidity in the soil produces the "chlorosis," 

 or yellow of the leaves, which at last ends in destroying the tree. 



Excessive aridity of the soil is also another cause of suffering to the 

 orange tree, but does not cause its death. 



Strong winds only cause the fall of the fruit before ripening. 



The fogs and white frost of spring sometimes cause an alteration in 

 the orange tree, which afterwards is shown in the shape of reddish spots 

 on the exterior part of the skin of the fruit, which renders it unfit for use 



VARIETIES CULTIVATED. 



The races and varieties known are innumerable, the majority of which 

 are still unclassified. The most interesting are divided in eight groups, 

 namely: (1) sweet orange, (2) sour orange, (3) Mandarin orange, (4) 

 limes, (5) Bermagots, (6) Pampelmuses, (7) lemons, (8) citrons. 



(1) Sweet orange. The sweet orange raised from seed in a warm cli- 

 mate is a vigorous tree, which reaches the height of 15 feet ; its foliage 

 large and oblong prolongated, of a dark brilliant green. The flowers 

 are hermaphrodite and pure white. The fruit is quite round, with a 

 smooth, yellowish skin. It commences to ripen in the middle of Novem- 

 ber, and in March arrives at full maturity. Trees from seed without 

 grafting give the largest crops, and it is not unusual for an adult tree to 

 produce from three to four thousand oranges per annum. These trees, 

 if conveniently sheltered from the cold winters, live centuries. Grafted 

 or budded orange trees hardly grow higher than 10 feet in their proper! 

 climate, while in others they only reach 6 or 7 feet, and even less, and 

 their life is short. The principal sweet-orange trees which are selected by 

 those engaged in the orange culture are the Bigaradia (Citrus vulgaris 

 bigaradia) Imperial, the Royal Bigaradia, the Bigaradia of silvery leaf 

 (C. vulgaris argentea), the Bigaradia of spotted leaf (C. vulgaris varie- 

 gata), the Bigaradias of double flower and of violet flower, and the Big- 

 aradias of round fruit, angulated fruit, spotted fruit, and crowned fruit; 

 also the Bigaradia of myrtle leaf and that of double flower, producing 

 cake-shaped fruit; the Balearic or Mallorea orange, large, smooth, 

 thin skin, of vigorous growth; the Portugal or China orange, of less 

 growth than the Balearic, but producing very large fruit; the orange 

 of Nice, highly favored in Provence for its elegance and beautiful fruit. 

 The Maltese or blood orange is very rich, and also an abundan^ bearer, 

 the fruit having a pulp stained with crimson ; the foliage resembles that 

 of the Portugal or China orange. There are numerous other varieties, 

 most of which are more nominal than real, mostly the results of hybrid- 

 izing, and which are more of a botanical ornament than of profit. 



(2) Sour orange. The sour or bitter orange, many of which have curi- 

 ous and very interesting foliage, portly and handsome trees, with gold 

 and silver-striped leaves, myrtle leafed, willow leafed, plain and striped, 

 tricolor striped, juid many others very showy. The flowers of these 

 trees bring the highest prices in market. Their fruit is preferred for 



