THE ORANGE FAMILY. 693 



It is the same sma-l, oval, brownish insect, so common in our 

 greenhouiLes, which adheres closely to the bark and under-side 

 of the leaves. All efforts to subdue it in Florida have been 

 nearly unavailing. 



A specific, however, against this insect has lately been dis- 

 covered in England. It is the use of the common Chamomile. 

 It is stated that merely hanging up bunches of fresh chamo- 

 mile herb in the branches destroys the scaled insect, and that 

 cultivating the plants at the roots of the trees is an effectual 

 preventive to the attacks of this insect. Where the bark and 

 leaves are much infested, we recommend the stem and branches 

 to be well washed with an infusion of fresh chamomile in 

 w^ater, and the foliage to be well syringed with the same. Re- 

 peating this once or twice will probably effectually rid the trees 

 of the scaled insect. 



Another very excellent remedy for this and all other insects 

 that infest the orange, is the gas liquor, of the gas works, largely 

 diluted with water, and showered over the leaves with a syringe 

 or engine. As this liquor varies in strength and is sometimes 

 very strongly impregnated with ammonia, it is difficult to give 

 a rule for its dilution. The safest way is to mix some, and 

 apply it at first to the leaves of tender plants ; if too strong, it 

 will injure them; if properly diluted, it promotes vegetation, and 

 destroys all insects. 



Varieties. From among the great number of names that 

 figure in the European catalogues, we select a few of those 

 really deserving attention in each class of this fruit. 



I. The Orange. 



The Orange ( Oranger, French ; Pomeranze, German ; Arancio, 

 Italian; and Naranja, Spanish), is, on the whole, the finest tree 

 of the genus. Its dark-green leaves have winged foot-stalks, 

 its fruit is round, with an orange-coloured skin. It is one of 

 the longest lived fruit trees, as an instance of which we may 

 quote the celebrated tree at Versailles, called " the Grand 

 Bourbon," which was sown in 1421, and is at the present time 

 in existence, one of the largest and finest trees in France. 



The fruit of the orange is universally esteemed in its ripe 

 state. The bitter orange is used for marmalades; the green 

 fruits, even when as small as peas, are preserved, and used i\\ 

 various ways in confectionery ; the rind and pulp are used in 

 cooking; and the orange flowers distilled, give the orange 

 flower water, so highly esteemed as a perfume, and in cookery. 



Besides the Common Sweet Orange, the most esteemed sorts 

 are the Maltese and the Bloou-Ked, both o'( excellent flavour, 

 with red pulp. The Mandarin orange is a small, flattened 



