alo BULLETIN 445, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
CITRUS FRUITS OF THE REGION AROUND RIO DE JANEIRO. 
There are a number of districts in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro 
where citrus fruits, especially oranges, are grown commercially to 
supply the markets of the city. The most important are Maxam- 
bomba, Nictheroy, and the Banca Velha and Porta d’Agua districts 
near Cascadura. 
Maxambomba, 20 miles from the city on the Central Railway, is 
the largest and by far the most prosperous of these districts. It is 
difficult to estimate the approximate acreage in oranges, but there 
are half a dozen groves varying from 5 to 10 acres in extent in the 
immediate vicinity of the village and others scattered upon the 
near-by hills (Pl. VII). Most of the groves are better cared for 
than those seen in the other districts noted above and present a much 
healthier and more vigorous appearance. 
At Nictheroy most of the orange groves are located in the suburb 
known as Sao Goncalo, about 4 miles from the center of the city, but 
easily accessible by means of the electric cars. Here there are 
numerous small plantations of 1 or 2 acres in extent and a few 
larger ones. As in the other districts, practically all the groves are 
located on the hillsides or on sloping ground. 
Banca Velha and Porta d’Agua, in a beautiful valley about 12 
miles west of Rio de Janeiro, contain numerous small groves and a 
few several acres in extent. As at Nictheroy, not as much attention 
is given to the culture of the orchards as at Maxambomba, and the 
eroves do not, as a rule, have a thrifty appearance. 
In all these districts the soil appears to be fertile and well suited 
to orange culture. In the valleys the sandy loam on the surface is 
sometimes underlain with a subsoil of reddish clay, while on the hill- 
sides the loam is frequently badly washed by the rains. At Maxam- 
bomba the reddish clay is visible, the hillsides being of light clay 
loam. ! 
The methods used in propagating and cultivating the trees and in 
picking and handling the fruit differ in no important respects from 
those practiced at Bahia. Laranja da terra (Citrus aurantium), the 
bitter or sour orange, is generally used as a stock on which to bud 
and by most growers is considered the best. The orchards are rarely 
cultivated, but the surface is cleaned of weeds from time to time with 
a hoe. The trees, which are often stunted in appearance, are planted 
closer together than at Bahia, 12 by 12 feet being a common distance. 
Of the numerous varieties of the orange known at Rio de Janeiro, 
only three are cultivated extensively, Selecta, Pera, and Natal, the 
latter being very similar to Pera if not actually synonymous with it. 
Many horticulturists at Rio de Janeiro consider Selecta the best 
