OEANGKS AND LEMONS IN SICILY. 517 



The names of tbe best varieties of lemons for profit are : II limone 

 comune (common lemon for trade) ; II bergamotto (for making essences) ; 

 II cedro vero (citrus medica, for preserving). 



Sittiation.— The same are located in low and bigb land, as well as all 

 around Mount ^tna, at a distance from 300 to GOO meters from sea, at 

 an elevation from 500 to 600 meters above sea-level, exposed to sun, on 

 level lands, because it is better, and on rich calcareous soil. 



Climate influence. — The minimum temperature in January is 5° Centi- 

 grade ; the maximum is 35° Centigrade in August, and the average 17° 

 in May. 



Nights in summer are rather fresh, and cool in winter. Days gener- 

 ally clear, seldom moist, and good atmosphere. 



Rain-fall from 25 to 30 inches per year, and rain in proper season helps 

 the growth and the fruits greatly. 



Irrigation. — Irrigation is done by spring and stream water, and by 

 well-water elevated by steam or horse power. 



The groves with said water are generally irrigated at option, and 

 whenever needed, as lemon trees bear all the year. 



Cultivation. — The following information I have been able to gather 

 by personal visits to the owners of the beautiful large groves of orange 

 and lemon trees, the production of which forms one of the principal re- 

 sources of the country, viz: When it is wished to plant a new lemon 

 grove, the gardener from November to April prepares in the best spot 

 of his garden a well-manured seed-plot of 2 square meters, whereon he 

 sows a quarter of a gallon bitter-orange seed, and covers the same with 

 about 2 inches of fine earth. Two months later you see the young plants 

 out of the ground, and on the coming summer the seed-plot is to be 

 watered at least every four days. After one year tbe young plants are at 

 a height of 18 inches, and then the gardener prepares a larger seed-plot 

 to plant the same, at a distance of 18 inches apart, where they are left 

 till another year. The new ground is hoed about 2^ feet deep, and 

 divided in square compartments of IJ feet each side, in the corners of 

 which are located the largest seedlings taken out from the seedling bed, 

 leaving there the smallest ones, to be replanted later on. 



This method of planting is called by these gardeners mettere a casella 

 (planting in cell). There they are kept for the second year, with good 

 care, the stems being fastened to sticks driven in the ground along-side, 

 in order to grow straight and to protect them from the wind. 



On the third year the seedlings are already grown sufficiently to be 

 replanted in another larger place, in order to give them more room. 

 Consequently half the largest ones are again dug up and planted in 

 another prepared bed. 



This second method is called planting in piantonaio. Here the plants 

 are left until the fourth year. In January or February of tbe fifth year 

 the grower divides alibis ground, already prepared during the previous 

 tall, ill .s(iuai(' compartnuMits of 14 feet long each side, and iu the cor- 



