522 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



There are three harvests of the true lemon— the November cut, the 

 December-January cut, the April-May cut. The true lemon is produced 

 from the April-May bloom j^the bastard lemon, from the irregular Ijloom 

 of February, March, June, and July. The true lemon requires nine 

 months to attain maturity. The true lemon keeps much better than 

 the bastard. Lemons gathered iu November are of a deep green color ; 

 after remaining in boxes from six weeks to two months they turn light 

 yellow. Lemons cut and packed in November show 300 to the box ; the 

 same lemons (having shrunk) when repacked in January show 360 to 

 the box; later shrinkage is scarcely noticeable. The November-cut 

 lemon keeps better than that "f any other out ; shipments of this lemon 

 are frequently made as late as May to New York. Lemons gathered in 

 January are of a bright yellow color and are not kept more than a 

 month in the warehouses here befor6 shipment. 



Second. The soils best adapted to the lemon are the argillo-calcareous 

 ^and the calcareo-argillaceous. Sandy soil is not well adopted to lemon 

 culture, as it is too thirsty, etc. The lemon requires an equable climate 

 to produce perfect fruit ; in this district climatic influences are seldom 

 Injurious to the fruit. The lemon does best on hill-sides, facing south. 

 It thrives at from one-fourth to two miles from the sea-shore, and at an 

 elevation of 1,500 feet. 



Little or no chemical fertilizers are used in these groves, and stable 

 manure but sparingly. Water is the great fertilizer on this island. 



May not our fresh soils and chemical fertilizers affect the keeping 

 qualities of California and Florida fruit ? 



"Wallace S. Jones, 



Consul. 



United States Consulate, 



Messina, May 30, 1890. 



SICILY. 



REPORT BT OONSVL WOODOOOE, OF OATANfA. 



(Republished from Consular Report No. 41^.) 



ORANG-ES AND LEMONS IN SICILY. 



In answer to the circular of the Department relative to the culture of 

 the orange, lemon, olive, flg, and raisin, I have the honor to report for 

 my district as follows : 



The Catania consular district comprises the southeast third of the 

 island of Sicily and lies between 36° and 38° north latitude, and be- 

 tween 11° and 13° east (Greenwich) longitude. 



The province of Catania takes in the volcano of ^Etna and the rich 

 zone of lava soil that surrounds it. The general trend of the land is 

 from the sea-shore upward to the summit of this mountain, which rises 



