512 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Neither cold nor warm nights, in the territory conterminous to Pal- 

 ermo, seem to wield an influence upon the result of the cultivation of 

 oranges and lemons therein. Sultry days, although frequent in sum- 

 mer, and occasional warm or cold spells, appear to exert no detrimen- 

 tal influence upon either lemons or oranges. For instance, the fruits 

 in question flourish quite well where the thermometer does not fall 

 below -f 3 centigrade, in winter, nor rise above 34 in summer. It has 

 been observed in Palermo on various occasions that the orange and 

 lemon trees resist a summer sultry temperature of 40 centigrade, and 

 that of 2 in winter without any apparent detriment, while many 

 other plants or trees were destroyed or damaged. 



The atmosphere in and conterminous to Palermo in winter is almost 

 invariably humid or moist, while the climate is mild. In summer the 

 atmosphere is very warm with little moisture, save immediately on the 

 sea-coast, the sdrocco which often obtains making life of all kinds 

 perilous. During this period irrigation is lavishly resorted to in order 

 to keep the trees alive and preserve the fruit. 



Rain-fall. The conditions of temperature and climate in Sicily are 

 exceptional, compared with other parts of southern Italj. The strong, 

 constant winds which prevail in winter condense and accumulate the 

 vapors, over which they traverse, into a small compass, and as a re- 

 sult the rain-fall is often so copious as to inundate entire localities. 

 Eain commences about the latter part of September and ends in April, 

 22 inches falling within the interim named. 



When rain falls in large quantities the trees are damaged ; but in 

 small quantities it is advantageous to them. 



Irrigation. The cultivation of oranges and lemons, in Sicily, gen- 

 erally can not be undertaken, unless the trees are irrigated from spring 

 to autumn, or when the land is not adjacent to springs, the drippings 

 from which serve therefor, or when springs do not exist in the sub- 

 soil, the nitration of which sufficing to maintain the ground in a moist 

 state during summer. The custom of opening canals parallel to the 

 rows of orange and lemon trees into which water, accumulated in an 

 elevated reservoir, is allowed to flow, thence into and between the 

 openings or small depressions between the rows of trees, until the 

 ground is thoroughly saturated, the more remote points from the 

 source of the water being irrigated first, until finally the irrigation 

 water and its source coalesce or meet, obtains here. 



In the best conducted orange and lemon gardens in the vicinity of 

 Palermo, irrigation is resorted to every eight days during the first 

 year of the growth of the trees 5 every twelve days during the second 

 and third years ; every fifteen days during the years from the fourth 

 to the eighth, inclusive, and from the eighth year forward invariably 

 every twenty -two days. 



Orange and lemon gardens require, on an average, 350 cubic meters 

 of water for each irrigation to the space of one hectare of land in good 

 condition. 



