444: 



PRODUCTS OF THE ORANGE FAMILY. 



trees in the Parramatta orangeries, half a century old, have attained a 

 height of 35 feet, and their branches a circumference of nearly 100 

 feet. Sometimes a single tree will produce as many as 12,000 oranges 

 in a year ; and the small variety known as the mandarin has borne 

 4200 upon one tree during the season. During the month of October, 

 oranges of every kind come into the Sydney market in enormous 

 quantities ; and at that season 6000 dozen per week are often ex- 

 ported to Melbourne alone. Lemon trees grow in the same orchards 

 with the orange, and are so loaded with fruit as to require support. 

 In this congenial climate every species of Citrus flourishes, the seed- 

 less St. Michael's, the large and luscious " navel " orange, the little 

 cumquat from China, and, equally well, the citron and the shaddock. 

 From 50Z. to 1800/. are realized by the proprietors annually, as the 

 incomes from the produce of their orange plantations, according to 

 the extent of fruit-bearing trees. One grower, in the vicinity of 

 Sydney, sold in a year for exportation 40,000 dozen, leaving 20,000 

 dozen for home consumption. The price paid by the dealers on the 

 ground for the fruit varies from 4<^. to 2s. per dozen, according to the 

 kind and quality. 



Few persons visit Sydney without seeing, or at least without a 

 desire to see, the Parramatta orangeries. The location is some 16 

 miles from Sydney, and about the same distance from the sea in a 

 westerly direction. As soon as a landing is effected there one finds 

 that he is in a fruit country. Oranges abound everywhere. The 

 goods traffic of Parramatta is made up largely of oranges. Orange 

 boxes, full and empty, meet the eye in all directions. Every second 

 man, woman, and child, are eating oranges. 



The orange is a surface-feeding plant. Where old trees are growing, 

 the surface of the soil is an absolute network of fine rootlets. These 

 rootlets should not be injured in cultivation ; hence the use of the 

 Dutch hoe. To keep up the fertility guano is extensively used. As 

 soon as a tree shows signs of languishing it gets a dose of guano- 

 mixture, say a couple of pounds. This is spread around the tree on 

 the surface of the land, and is then touched in with the hoe. Both 

 trees and fruit, by this treatment, are beautifully clean. 



Concerning the varieties of oranges cultivated, seedlings are most 

 in favour. Next to them are grafts upon the bitter orange stock. The 

 lemon, as a stock, is considered the cause of deterioration in the 

 orange, and the source of scale and other diseases. In selecting seed 

 for sowing, the planter chooses the fullest and finest oranges ; he will 

 have nothing to do with refuse fruit for such purposes. The seed is 

 sown wide apart, that the young plants may have space. The system 

 of raising seedlings in close rows is found to cramp their growing 

 capabilities. All through there is a desire to get large, vigorous, 

 perfect trees, and to that end it is not considered desirable to force 

 them into early bearing. Seedlings take many years (five or six) to 

 come into bearing, but they make the finest trees, and that is con- 

 sidered all-sufficient for the Parramatta growers. 



South Australia. — In this colony the orange thrives wonderfully 

 well. Whole acres of healthy trees, laden to the very ground with 

 golden fruit, may be observed around Adelaide, and in many jjarts of 



