RUT ACE ^. 



79 



Var. sanguinea. (l^lood Orange.) This form has heconie constant, and 

 differs from the typical plant in the color of the pulp in the fruit, which varies 

 from a liglit blooil-red to a deep dark-red, tin- branches being usually, but uot 

 always, without spiues. The author has consulted intelligent fruit-growers 

 aud dealers, who all say that the characteristics are perpetuated by buddiug, 

 and that as the trees grow older the fruit shows a tendency to return to the 

 normal type. 



Botanists and naturalists have thus far treated it as an accident, unexplaiu- 

 able, or Silusus natune, thus leaving the nurseryman and fruit-grower to solve 

 the mystery by experiment and observation. 



This form is more frequently taken on when the pomegranate stock is used, 

 but occurs occasionally with regular stocks, aud does uot always appear when 

 the pomegranate stock is used. 



Varieties. — As the orange is propagated from seed, it departs in form 

 from the parent, and forms varieties. lu a very complete natural history 

 of the orange family, pub- 

 lished by Kisso, an eminent 

 scholar of Nice, one huu- 

 dred and sixty-nine sorts 

 are described, with charac- 

 ters sufficiently distinct to 

 make varieties ; these are 

 grouped under eight spe- 

 cies. Under the first, C. 

 aurantium, the author ar- 

 ranges forty-three varieties, 

 differing as to qualities, 

 form, or size of the fruit. 



An orange-tree in full 

 bearing presents au object 

 of surpassing beauty to the 

 landscape. Conceive a tree 

 with a well-formed, sym- 

 metrical head, the branches 

 clothed with a dark-green 

 foliage, besprinkled with 

 delicate white flowers, and 

 dotted all over with bright 

 golden-colored fruit, and 

 you have an object whose 

 beauty is simply enchant- 

 ing. 



Geograplii/. — The geographical distribution of the orange is very 'wide. 

 It is to be found in all the regions of no frost, where agriculture and horticul- 

 ture are practiced. The Arabs carried it from India into western Asia, northern 

 Africa, and southern Europe. The China orange was carried through Persia, 

 Syria, and along the northern coasts of the Mediterranean to southern Europe 

 The bitter, or Seville orange, went by way of Arabia, along the southern shores 

 of the Mediterranean, to northern Africa and over into Spain. Though the 

 orange-tree has a very l)roail geographical range, it is a tropical and subtropi- 

 cal plant. It does not rijien its fruit well exce])t where the temperature liat 

 a mean above CO" Farenheit. China, southern Japan, India, western Asia, 



Citrus aurantium (Sweet Orange). 



