FRUIT CULTURE IN MENTONE. 913 



Since this pretty village lias become a winter resort, the habits of 

 the villagers, in respect of their \vork and their wages, have changed 

 greatly. The picturesque capellina which shaded the face of the young 

 Mentonaise has been replaced by fashionable hats, veils, and parasols 

 from Paris. The young men have become valets, chef* de cuisine, wait- 

 ers, etc., and thus the cultivation of the lemon is left to strange and 

 ignorant laborers. 



This has lost to Mentone its export to the United States, for fruit 

 badly gathered or poorly packed arrives at its destination in a pitiable 

 state. 



The first choice lemons are usually sent to the North and to America ; 

 the second quality are used in France and Italy. The first quality are 

 those having no blemish, are large and fine, and not too ripe to stand 

 the long voyage. 



The lemon and orange trees are subject to divers maladies: 



La Morfea. A sort of louse which eats the rind of the fruit, and also 

 covers the tree in its worst stages with a ^disgusting white mildew. 

 When this malady attacks a garden the trees are unproductive for 

 years. 



La Fumie is another malady, which turns the branches and leaves of 

 the tree as black as though they oaiue from a chimney. 



For some time past they complain of a little worm which attacks the 

 center of the flower, eating the pistils. 



Hail will also destroy the fruit, but happily this rarely occurs in 

 Mentone. 



The changes of weather, such as a prolonged spell of damp weather, 

 predispose the fruit to certain maladies which may develop in the 

 packed fruit if not well guarded by an experienced packer, and even 

 with the best care in choice of fruit and packing the fruit of certain 

 years is more likely to spoil and rot. 



The exportation of lemons to the United States, as taken from the 

 books of the agency, has been as follows : 



Ca.ses packed for the United States contain 360 lemons. 



THE ORANGE TKEE. 



The oranges of Mentone have but little commercial value. The trees 

 ornament and perfume the gardens and furnish a passable fruit for the 

 table. Very few, if any, are sent away. 



