OEANGES AND LEMONS IN GENOA. 493 



for many years afterwards. It is not often that these varieties become 

 very old, say, not over one hundred years. The foliage expands to a 

 remarkable degree, and an average plant will usually produce 5,000 fruit 

 per annum ; especially can this be said of the lemon tree. 



Planting. — Before the malady gomma (gum) manifested itself it was pre- 

 ferred to multiply the trees by burying the ends of shoots in the ground at 

 proper distance ; these shoots soon took root, but now tbe seed of Melan- 

 golois planted, into which, when grown to a certain size, the qualities 

 desired are grafted. The Melangolo tree up to the present time is in 

 a very healthy state and forms a good trunk in whicii to graft all 

 varieties required. Sharp fruit trees are planted at a distance of about 

 17 feet apart on flat land and from 13 to 14 feet apart on hill-sides. 

 The shade of one tree on another is injurious to the blossoming of the 

 latter, therefore care should be taken that fair space be given all the 

 plants in order to have nature do its best for man. The average num- 

 ber of trees in a hectare of land (or 2.471 acres) is 490, and with 

 this number as a basis from which to calculate it gives a space of 

 about 20 square meters for each tree. 



Situation of orchards. — Orange and lemon orchards in Liguria are all 

 on the sea-coast. Flat and hilly lands in orchard are alike protected 

 by lofty mountains from northern winds. This state of affairs appears 

 necessary ; the temperature must be constant, for even the slightest 

 frost damages the lymph of the plant and juice of the fruit. Orange 

 and lemon groves can be, and are, cultivated Inland, but the tempera- 

 ture in such places must not reach higher than 40° centigrade and not 

 lower than 2°, or by Fahrenheit scale, 104° and 32°. Inland orchards 

 usually do well around lakes on account of the constant climate. Uroves 

 are also to be seen on table-lands, but always on the south side of mount- 

 ains ; in such localities the temperature is as given above. Sharp fruit 

 trees need a damp soil, and if the land does not contain suflflcient moist- 

 ure it is impossible to obtain a good crop. On naturally dry soil, there- 

 fore, water near by is of great value. 



Orchards in this province and in all Liguria are near the sea and pro- 

 tected from the cold northern winds by mountains. Many small groves 

 can be seen beside stone walls, to which the branches cling, particularly 

 the lemon. The land throughout this province being so mountainous, 

 it must be taken for granted that but few orchards can be seen on so- 

 called flat lands. 



Cultivation.— Orange and lemon groves, on account of the irregular 

 formation of the surrounding country, are necessarily small, and they 

 are owned by about as many people. On account of this natural ab- 

 ruptness and irregularity, added to the fact that the orchards are not 

 large, it is the opinion of the owners that irrigation is too expensive. 

 Further, the soil on which groves are planted is what the Italians term 

 strong, and it is claimed for it that it retains moisture for a long time. 

 Again, an idea prevails among the people that springs are of no great 

 depth here, and consequently the writer therefrom courses through the 



