TROPICAL FRUITS. FOR LOW ELEVATIONS 153 



soil, covering them with about \ inch of finely sifted earth. The 

 seeds will germinate in about fourteen days ; when the seedlings 

 are 2 or 3 inches high, transplant them into small plant-baskets or 

 bamboo pots. These should be ready for budding or grafting in 

 the course of 8 or 10 months, and the budded or grafted plants 

 should be lit for planting out when about 2 years old. 



Planting and Yield. The distance for planting apart should 

 not be less than 15 by 15 ft., allowing, say, 193 trees to the acre. 

 The trees should commence to bear when about four or five 

 years old, and are considered to be in their prime at the age of 

 fifteen years. When in full bearing each tree should yield from 

 300 to 700 fruits a year. 



Manuring and Mulching. Although any well-decomposed 

 organic manure may be applied with advantage, the chief require- 

 ments of the Orange tree are considered to be lime and potash. 

 A successful grower in Australia applies 5 Ib. bone-dust and 

 phosphate of lime to each tree once a year, while in Florida burnt- 

 shell lime is applied at the rate of i ton to the acre. The ground 

 around the tree should be frequently stirred, and never allowed 

 to harden. A light mulch of litter or leaves is of great benefit in 

 hot dry weather. 



Pruning Oranges. Good orange trees require little or no 

 pruning, except as regards the removal of superfluous, dead, or 

 broken branches. The plants should be topped at a height of 

 about 2i ft., so as to induce a spreading and evenly balanced 

 form. The fruits, it should be remembered, are borne on one 

 year old wood. Excessive woodiness may sometimes have to be 

 checked by cutting the tap-root below 15 inches from the 

 surface. 



Bi- Products of the Orange. Various by-products are obtained 

 from oranges, as candied peel (from the rind) ; citric, lactic, and 

 acetic acid (from the fruit-juice) ; essential oil (from the peel) ; the 

 perfume bergamot (from the flowers as well as rind) ; also orange 

 wine, etc., from the pulp. Marmalade, the making of which is a 

 large important industry, is made chiefly from the sour varieties, 

 especially the " Seville orange." 



VARIETIES. The following are well-known : 

 Jaffa. A large oval fruit of first rate quality ; pulp rich and jui cy, seeds 



few or none. 



Jamma-naran. See Mandarin. 

 Maltese Blood-orange. Fruit medium si/e ; flesh stained with deep crimson 



seeds few ; tree spineless. 



