ORANGES AND LEMONS IN SICILY, 525 



nearer to each other. The distance to be maintained between orange 

 trees is from 4 to 4^ meters (13 to 14 feet). The distance must vary in 

 accordance with the situation and quality of the soil, as in the case of 

 the lemon. 



Orange and lemon trees make beautiful the upland and mountain 

 side with their vivid green. They grow luxuriantly in the valleys, and 

 fringe the sea-coast almost to the water line. Those orchards yield the 

 best results which are most distant from the sea and are not of such an 

 altitude as to be affected by the frost. The rich valleys above the sea- 

 level, where an abundance of water can bo had for irrigation, abound 

 in the best orchards. Some orchards here reach down to the sea, 

 within 330 feet of the shore. Such a location is of course not desirable 

 for the culture of this fruit. The trees so near the sea are more liable 

 to disease, and the quality of the fruit is not so good as that of the 

 orchards more distant. 



Artificial irrigation is necessary in this climate. Streams that tumble 

 down from ^tna are utilized for this purpose. Where this is imprac- 

 ticable, water is elevated from wells by steam or mule power. 



The ground of the orchards between the trees must be cultivated. It 

 is necessary that the ground be kept perfectly clean. The soil should 

 be worked at least five times a year, commencing in March and ending 

 in October. When the trees are young and small it is not customary 

 to work the soil. It is thought that the vegetable growth protects the 

 young plants from the too-powerful rays of the sun. 



Many sections raise crops of vegetables between the trees. This 

 practice, however, is condemned by the best fruit culturists. 



The cost of cultivation in the best orchards per annum per hectare 

 (2iWb acres), on the average, is about 650 lire ($125.45); but where 

 extraordinary outlays must be made for streets through the orchards 

 (as is often the case in this lava-covered soil) and steam power for irri- 

 gation, the cost per annum per hectare {2^^o acres) may be 2,000 lire 

 ($386). 



On the average a lemon tree here produces 1,000 lemons per annum ; 

 an orange tree 600 oranges. There are cases where trees produce ten 

 times this number. 



The Sicilians regard the best time for gathering the fruit for export 

 is in the month of November. The fruit is carefully picked from the 

 tree by hand, caution being exercised not to injure the same by the 

 thorns of the tree or rough handling. The fruit is not rudely thrown 

 into a box, but gently placed in a basket lined with cloth. The stem 

 is left on the fruit, cutting it about a quarter of an inch from the sur- 

 face of the fruit. 



Prior to boxing, the fruit is cleaned of insects or other injurious mat- 

 ter. The box used here generally is capable of holding from 250 to 360 

 of the fruit, there being a partition in the center. It is lined with com- 

 mon silk paper. Each individual fruit is encased in the same kind of 



