ORANGES AND LEMONS IN THE RIVIERA 479 



The following are said to be among the most valuable: Lemonier 

 ordinaire (Citrus limonum) vulture ; lemonier imperial (Citrus limonum) 

 imperial; lemonier bignette (Citrus limonum) bignetta ; lemonier per- 

 ette spatafore (Citrus limonum) peretta spatafora. This last excellent 

 in damp situations. 



The lemons thrive only in the sheltered nooks within a mile or two of 

 the sea, where every deep warm valley has its small orchard ripening, 

 not only from the direct rays of the sun, but from the warmth thrown 

 back by the cliffs around them. The oranges more hardy can be found 

 10 miles from the coast among the mountains as high as 200 or 300 

 yards above the sea. Our only level land is in small valleys among the 

 Alpes Maritimes which cover all this district. It is generally noted that 

 this fruit ripens earlier on hill-sides where water can be brought to it. 



The soil best adapted to them here is a silico-argilaceous or argilo- 

 calcareous soil, the latter, when not too damp, but any good mixed soil 

 seems to answer, as they are not difficult. 



In regard to temperature M. J. Tesseare gives observations taken by 

 him covering twenty years. The minimum during that time being 26, 

 maximum 92.5, average 60 Fahrenheit in the shade. These observations 

 were taken three times daily, sunrise, 2 p. m., and at sunset. In the 

 sun at 2 p. m., the thermometer marked minimum 99, maximum 135.5, 

 averaging 112.1. Lowest night temperature 26, highest 79. There 

 are but few sultry days. During the twenty years there were 4,385 

 days almost or entirely cloudless, 1,547 cloudy days, 1,348 days more or 

 less rainy, 28 days without observation. This would give in one year 

 219 sunny days, 77 cloudy, 67 rainy. The hygrometer of Saussure 

 gives minimum of 23, maximum 77, .average C1.4. 



For the five years 1870-'74, the minimum rain-fall was in 1874, 24.3 

 inches ; the average for the five years was 35.1 inches. The peculiarity 

 of the rain- fall is the tropical intensity of each shower and its short 

 duration ; so that while we have actually more rain than London, Eng- 

 land, we have very much fewer rainy or cloudy days. During the long 

 summer, from June to September, the trees are irrigated with water 

 brought in canals from mountain streams, which is generally tempered 

 by storing in large private tanks for some time before being applied, 

 which it is at intervals of one or two weeks. This is done in summer, 

 between sunset and sunrise ; if necessary in autumn it is done in the 

 morning. Gardeners watch the leaves of the tree for indications of 

 need of water. The orange needs less water than the lemon. 



The earth is worked over twice a year. In the spring after pruning, 

 at least a foot deep, again in the autumn not quite so deep. The tool 

 used for this work is always tined, as a blade might injure the smaller 

 deep roots. It is considered desirable to cut away the roots which lie 

 near the surface, as they are injured by becoming too dry and the tree 

 suffers. The deeper growing roots are better for the tree to draw sus- 

 tenance from, as they keep moist longer. 



Fertilizers are used for two definite purposes and at two different 



