532 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Michael, conveyed by small fast-sailing schooaers, carrying from 600 

 to 1,200 boxes of that size. Of late years the carrying has been clone 

 by steamers. 



The Azorean orange has been with few exceptions packed in corn 

 husks, it being found that, liable as it is to decay, the husk, being 

 thicker and firmer than paper, protects the sound ones more effectively 

 from a decayed comrade. 



The soil of these islands, though generally thin, is fairly productive 

 if rain does not fail too much during the summer months, and it is ob- 

 served that the best oranges are raised on rather a sandy soil ; those 

 from richer ground being thicker skinned and deficient in flavor. The 

 climate is decidedly a damp one, but equable in temperature. The 

 mean annual temperature, deduced from three daily observations of 

 a Fahrenheit thermometer properly placed in the shade, I found to be 

 62j the maximum observed being 80 and the minimum 44. 



S. W. DABNEY, 



Consul. 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE,. 



Fayal, 'April 24, 1884. 



SPAIN. 



REPORl BY CONSULAR AGENT LOEWENSTEIN, OF GRAO. 

 [Republished from Consular Reports No. 41^.] 

 CULTIVATION OF THE ORANGE TREE. 



I have the honor to forward to you herewith a report on the cultiva- 

 tion and propagation of the orange tree in this province. It was made 

 out after consulting the most eminent cultivators and authors, and my 

 fervent desire is that this paper may be useful to some of the lesser- 

 instructed cultivators of this tree in the United States. 



CLIMATE. 



The orange tree does not thrive in the open air except a^bove 43 

 latitude, and then in sheltered spots, where the earth always preserves 

 a temperature above congealmeut at a depth of 0.02 m to 0.03 m . In 

 these cases the sap of the roots, which is always in mo vein out in the 

 trees of permanent leaves even in winter, defends the exposed parts of 

 the tree from congealment. The thermometer has been known as low 

 as 10 Keauniur without the orange trees perishing, because such tem- 

 perature was not sufficiently continuous to penetrate to any depth in 

 the soil, besides which the thaw that succeeded was accompanied with 

 a cloudy sky. In short, the orange tree can be cultivated with perfect 

 security in the open air where the temperature is not lower than 3 



