404 FEUIT CULTURE IN FOEEIGN COUNTRIES. 



flowers of a pure white. The fruit is depressed and of immense size, of 

 a pale yellow, and only matures on the second year ; they require shelter 

 and a warm locality. The " Lumias " are a variety of the Pampelmuse. 



(7) Lemons [Citrus Mmowtm).— This species is more a large shrub than 

 a small tree; they require a warmer climate than oranges do; their 

 flowers are white inside and reddish on the outside. There are numer- 

 ous varieties. They require less irrigatiou than the orange tree ; are 

 easily propagated from cuttings, which the dealers in orange trees use 

 extensively for budding or grafting. 



(8) Ciirora.— There are various varieties— the ordinary citron, the 

 lemon citron, the St. Jerome citron of very large fruit, the Florence cit- 

 ron, and the sweet citron; the flowers are reddish, pink, white, and 

 violet. It grows well in narrow valleys where the heat in summer is 

 retained during the evenings; it grows admirably on the shores of the 

 Mediterranean in almost any soil, and is easily multiplied from slips or 

 cuttings, which are also used for budding or grafting by the dealers and 

 venders of orange trees. 



For California I would recommend raising sweet oranges from seed 

 or grafting the seedlings or stocks of the sour orauge, the hardiest of 

 all for cold winters. 



Observations on pruning. — The flower and fruit are produced on the 

 young wood of the current season generally. The pruning has in view 

 three objects: first, to keep the branches from being too numerous, and 

 tliereby making the foliage too thick, so as to exclude air and sun to a 

 great part of the head ; secondly, to check those branches which grow 

 too vigorously for the rest of the tree ; thirdly, to remove old aud bare 

 wood and make way for the young. The weakest branches should also 

 be removed, aud the pruning should be done on dry days during the 

 months of February :ind March. No shoots should be allowed to grow 

 below the head, unless left for the purpose of propagation by layering 

 in pots aud thus obtaining young additional trees. 



The orange tree spreads its roots close to the surface ; care should be 

 taken not to disturb them vvheu cultivating the soil around the trees., 



Nothing is wasted of the orange tree. The leaves, the flowers, and 

 the fruit are all a source of profit ; they all constitute a branch of com- 

 merce. On pruning the trees the leaves are gathered from the cut 

 branches, dried, and they sell in the markets of Europe from $2 to S-l 

 per hundred-weight. The flowers are sold for the distillery and other 

 purposes in France at 35 cents per pound. Oranges for exportation are 

 gathered in November when their color begins to change from green to 

 a j'etlowish ; the second gathering for short distances is made in Decem- 

 ber, and the last for the nearest markets in February aud Mavch. 



Felix A. MATHKWt^, 



Consul, 



United Statks (Jonsulatk, 



'I'Kiijiicr, Ajiril :.!, ISSl. 



