244 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



May 



age. It is a native of the West Indies — 

 brought thence in 1692. L. aculeata is the 

 most common species. The blossom is similar 

 to that of the verbena ; and changes in color, 

 from yellow to orange and red. It requires 

 the same soil and treatment as the calceolaria. 



Lemon. — The lemon belongs to the genus 

 Citrus, which includes oranges, lemons, limes, 

 shaddocks, citrons, &c. It is an ancient ge- 

 nus, the species of which are characterized by 

 their handsome evergreen leaves, odoriferous 

 flowers, and fragrant and delicious fruit. The 

 golden apples of the Hesperides, and the for- 

 bidden fruit of the garden of Eden, are sup- 

 posed to refer to this family ; though we have 

 no authentic record of any species of Citrus 

 having been known, and certainly none were 

 cultivated, by the Romans. The plants are 

 natives of Asia. The citron, which diffei-s lit- 

 tle from the lemon, was carried from Persia to 

 Europe — cultivated in Italy, by Palladius, in 

 the second century ; and, about a thousand 

 years later, the orange was also introduced to 

 Italy, from China and India. Orange-trees 

 were growing in England in 1695; "carried 

 thither," says Gibbon, "by a knight of the no- 

 ble family of Carew." It has been raised by 

 Sir Francis Carew from seeds brought by Sir 

 Walter Raleigh ; but, as such trees could not 

 readily have borne fruit, it is more likely that 

 Gibbon's account is correct. They were kept 

 in open ground, having a moveable cover for 

 •winter. They were killed in the great frost 

 of 1739-40. 



At the beginning of the eighteenth century, 

 when there were few exotics, orange trees be- 

 came fashionable for conservatories. And, 

 although other plants, of almost endless vari- 

 ety, have been in competition with them since, 

 and some of them, in the mere matter of fash- 

 ion, have occasionally gained the precedence, 

 no vegetable production has yet been found 

 capable of attaming such high perfection in fo- 

 liage, flower and fruit combined, as the oi'- 

 ange. Lemon or orange trees may be raised 

 from seeds, and in six or eight — ^possibly in 

 three or four — years may blocm. But they 

 are more sure to bloom, and will bloom sooner, 

 if budded, or grafted. A seedling lemon or 

 citron makes as good a stock I'or budding with 

 orange as the orange stalk itself. Seeds should 

 be planted n pots, drained with cinders. Soil, 

 onc-thlid of sand ; and the remainder light 



loam that has not been cultivated, peat, leaf- 

 mould, and old manure, in equal parts. Mix 

 all well together that the compost may be uni- 

 form. As soon as the first shoot appears, wa- 

 ter the soil, and give the pot air, heat, and 

 light : but keep it from the sun, if it shines 

 powerfully. After the first leaves have opened, 

 water with liquid manure once a month ; and 

 wash the leaves and stems frequently. The 

 foliage will be handsomer if the pot is kept in 

 the shade. 



Lemoxs. — AVhen seedlings are two years old, 

 they should be budded from healthful and 

 fruitful trees. They must then be kept in a 

 cool — not cold — airy place, and be watered 

 charily. When the bud shows growth, give 

 more Avarmth, and more water. Young or- 

 ange and lemon trees are very desirable for 

 the flower-stand, even if they do not bloom, 

 because their beautiful evergreen foliage affords 

 a fine contrast to other plants. But if the 

 blossoms and fruit are wanted, the best way is 

 to buy a tree ready to bloom. These are gen- 

 erally imported. The Italians have for many 

 years supplied both North and South America, 

 as well as all Europe, with orange trees, of 

 which they have extensive nurseries. The 

 prettiest for house culture are the dwarf. The 

 dwarf Mandarin bears fruit of exquisite flavor. 

 The dwarf Otaheite is a more common kind ; 

 this bears a great abundance of fruit, but it is 

 not so nice, neither are the flowers so fine, as 

 those of the Mandarin. The shaddock bears 

 very large, beautiful flowers. The blossoms 

 of the lemon are smaller than those of the oi-- 

 ange, and the under side of their petals is 

 tinted with purple. The orange blooms in 

 JNIarch ; and the fruit shows its Ibrm in April, 

 but does not begin to turn yellow until the fol- 

 lowing spring. It requires over a year to rip- 

 en oranges, and they are better for remaining 

 longer on the tree ; they can remain three 

 years on the tree before being gathered — the 

 orange never drops naturally. The lemon 

 ripens irregularly, and falls off when ripe. 



Once in six years, orange trees should be 

 pruned, the shoots shortened to within an inch 

 or two of the old wood. It will not blossom 

 fur two years after this, but it will throw out 

 handsome, vigorous shoots, which at the end of 

 that time will be covered with an abundance of 

 flowers. Unless the tree appears sickly it will 

 not need re-potting except at the time of prun- 



