1872 The Western Pomologist and Gardener. US 



epidemic form for many years, and growers have now no apprehension from this 

 source. 



The wonderful vital and productive power of the orange tree would not be marvelled 

 at could one examine its roots. The ground all through our grove is a dense mat or 

 sponge of fine yellow roots, which appear like a net-work on the least displacing of the 

 sand. Every ramification has its feeder, and sucks up food for the tree with avidity. 

 ThQ consequence is, that people who have an orange grove must be contented with that, 

 and not try to raise flowers ; but nevertheless we do try, because we can't help it. But 

 every fertilizer that we put upon our roses and flower-beds is immediately rushed after 

 by these hungry, yellow orange roots. At the root of our great live oak we wanted a lit- 

 tle pet colony of flowers, and had muck and manure placed there to prepare for them. In 

 digging there lately, we found every particle of muck and manure netted round with the 

 fine embracing fibres from the orange tree ten feet ofl". The consequence is that our 

 roses grow slowly, and our flower garden is not a success. 



Oleanders, cape jessamines, pomegrantes, and cape-myrtles manage, however, to stand 

 their gound. Any strong, woody-fibred plant does better than more delicate flowefs ; as 

 people who will insist upon their rights, and fight for them, do best in the great scramble 

 of life. 



But what a bouquet of sweets is an orange tree ! Merely as a flowering tree it is worth 

 having, if for nothing else. We call the time of their budding a week of pearls. How 

 beautiful ! How almost miraculous the leaping forth of these pearls to gem the green 

 leaves! The fragrance has a stimulating eff'ect on our nerves — a sort of dreamy intoxi- 

 cation. The air, now, is full of it. Under the trees the white shell-petals drift, bearing 

 perfume. 



But not to lose our way in poetic raptures, we return to statistics, drawn from a recent 

 conversation with our practical neighbor. He has three trees in his grounds which this 

 year have each borne 5,000 oranges. He says that he has never failed of a steady crop 

 from any cause except in the first of the two years named, and in that case it is to be 

 remembered the fruit was perfected, and only lost by not being gathered. 



He stated that he had reports from two men whom he named, who had each gath- 

 ered 10,000 from a single tree. He appeared to think it a creditable story, though a- very 

 remarkable yield. 



The orange can be got from seed. Our neighbor's trees, the largest and finest in Jtlan- 

 darin, are seedlings. Like ours, they were frozen down in 18.35, and subsequently almost 

 destroyed by the orange insect ; but now they are stately, majestic trees, of wonderful 

 beauty. The orange follows the quality of the seed, and needs no budding ; and in our 

 region this mode of getting the trees is universally preferred. Fruit may be expected 

 from the seed in six years when high cultivation is practiced. A cultivator in our neigh- 

 borhood saw a dozen trees, with an average of 300 oranges on each, at seven years from 

 the seed. Young seedling plants of three years' growth can be bought in the nurseries 

 on the St. John's river. — Mrs. H. B. SUrwe, in Christian Union. 



American and Forelsn Pears. 



It is well known that the pear is more widely adapted to diS'erences of latitude and cli- 

 mate than the apple and some other fruits, and that many which are among our best sorts 

 at the North, also succeed well in the Southern States. We often hear the assertion that 

 our native varieties are the only ones that we should plant or rely on ; but we could never 

 see how a certain number of seeds planted to raise new varieties should come up differ- 

 ently, whether planted in France or New York. Those which happen to prove best fit- 

 ted to our climate, no matter where they originated, we of course retain, and reject the 

 others, whether they be of European or American origin. These remarks are suggested 

 by looking over a late number of a London horticultural work, giving the following list 

 of the best twenty-four pears adapted to that part of England, which ripen n su '^cession 

 in the order named : 



