ORANGE, LEMON, &c. 



313 



bottom of the border to get dry; strict atten- 

 tion to the watering, and occasional examina- 

 tion of the soil will prevent this. It often 

 happens that roots so placed suffer great injury 

 before the cause is discovered. 



Oranges grown in pots or tubs require the 

 same treatment as those that are planted out. 

 The soil should be such as will 

 last long, for plants of this kind 

 do not like their roots to be often 

 disturbed. In houses devoted 

 altogether to Orange culture, like 

 the above, a limited amount of 

 bottom-heat will be of service all 

 the year round, even in winter, 

 the temperature of the house 

 being kept at 48° or 50°. Al- 

 though they can be grown con- 

 siderably cooler than this, the 

 trees do not grow so fast, and 

 consequently are longer in get- 

 ting up to a useful size, the fruit 

 being also much longer in coming 

 to maturity. When the Orange- 

 house is kept at a temperature as 

 above advised, the trees will come 

 into bloom in February; as the 

 days lengthen, the heat must be 

 increased 8° or 10° in the day- 

 time, and further on in summer 

 must rise to 80° or 85°. So 

 managed the fruit will ripen from 

 October to January, and furnish 

 dessert of surpassing excellence. 



It will be seen from this that 

 the Orange, from the time of 

 flowering, is much longer than 

 most fruits in coming to maturity, taking from 

 eight to eleven months. Indeed, when grown 

 in a greenhouse temperature, it does not gener- 

 ally flower before midsummer, and in that case 

 the fruit will not ripen till the summer follow- 

 ing; and, as might be supposed, so managed, 

 the quality bears no comparison to that which 

 is grown on in a temperature more in accord- 

 ance with the natural requirements of the trees. 

 The fact of their being able to carry the fruit 

 and ripen it at all when grown so much cooler 

 than is their nature, speaks for itself as to the 

 wonderful powers of the tree to accommodate 

 itself to usage such as few fruits could be in- 

 duced to succeed under. 



Orange-trees often get into bad health, and 

 this can scarcely be wondered at considering 

 the treatment they receive. When grown in 

 pots and boxes, they must have root-room pro- 



portionate to their size, and they may have 

 bottom-heat supplied by being plunged in a tan 

 or hot-bed; but this, like all bottom-heat ob- 

 tained by means of fermenting matter, entails 

 a good deal of labour in its renewal, and requires 

 much attention in its regulation. 



In a very light house most likely the plants 



Pig. 1095.— Lemon (Citrus medica Limonum). (J.) 



will require a little shade in bright weather to 

 prevent the leaves scorching. They must have 

 air given timely in summer and in sufficient 

 quantity. One essential to success is a free 

 use of the syringe all through the growing sea- 

 son. The garden engine is a still better imple- 

 ment, especially where a number of trees are 

 grown ; if this is used freely so as to thoroughly 

 drench them every day, yet without so much 

 force as to injure the young leaves, it will 

 materially assist in keeping down insects, espe- 

 cially brown scale, to which these plants are 

 very liable. The water should reach both the 

 upper and under surface of the leaves. 



Orange-trees require little pruning or train- 

 ing; if any branch appears to take the lead so 

 as to rob the rest, it should be shortened back 

 or tied down in order to induce it to break 

 back. 



