(>0 THE ORANGE. 



cannot ha\'e been Oranges, as is pro\'ed b\- tlie liistor\- 

 of this fruit. The}- were more probabl}- idealised 

 Quinces. These fruits, sacred to Apiirodite, were given 

 as prizes in contests and as bridal gifts in ancient times 

 in Hellas. 



The beaut\' of a fulh' developed Orange tree adorned 

 with hundreds of golden Iruits can hardh' be realised 

 on the Riviera or e\'en at Sorrento. I first saw them 

 in tlieir full luxuriance, and about the size of our ^Vpple 

 trees, at the foot of Mount Etna. Theobald Fischer, in 

 his "Beitragen zur physischen Geographie der Mittel- 

 nieerltlnder". asserts that in Sicih' a full-grown and well 

 cnlti\'ated Orange tree \ielded I rem six to se^'en hundred 

 and a Lemon tree a thousand to a thousand one lumdred 

 fruits. Formerh' a hectare of land at Palermo planted 

 Avith Agrumi brought in on an average three thousand 

 Lire gross profit; wliereas the most fertile gardens near 

 Paris onh' brine in two tliousand five liundred to two 

 thousand se\en lumdred Francs for a similar area. Rut 

 according to Theobald Fisclier Orange growing has 

 become less profitable in Sicil\' since then. The in- 

 creasing culti\ation of the Orange where\'er the climate 

 is suitable to it, especialh' in tlie United States, has 

 lowered the prices considerabh'. 



There is an infinite variety' of Oranges of \Ahicli 

 lioweN'cr onh' a few reach us. Among others is the 

 increasingh' popular ''Blood Orange", or "'Jericho 

 Orange". 



Mandarins ( Cilrus iiohilis), are iiow exported from 

 Itah' in great numbers. The shrub, A\hich t]iri\'cs on tlie 



