6 



the fruit 18 permitted to yellow upon the tree, is bitter, which destroys. the commercial value of the 

 lemon. Other ill results are noticed when the fruit is permitted to ripen on the tree. Such fruit is 

 comparatively light, the juice sparse, and charged with a small per cent of citric acid. All this is the 

 result of a want of knowledge of proper treatment of the fruit. My lemons have brought in New York 

 more money per box than my oranges, and bave in these markets ranked as first quality. I would 

 mention, also, that as a general rule the lemon tree is more productive than the orange. This fruit 

 •which ranked so high was gathered from seedlings planted from seed of the Sicily and Messina fruit 

 of commerce. If the fruit on these trees is allowed to ripen on. the tree, they average three-fourths of 

 a pound in weight, but of inferior quality, juice little and rind thick. 



" My method of preparing for market is to gather the fruit when about one-third larger than we 

 find the Sicily lemon when it reaches our American market. In curing, the fruit will shrink this extra 

 third. The fruit is gathered in latticed boxes holding about fifty lemons each and only two layers 

 deep. The fruit should be cut with short stems, and so handled as not to be bruised. The boxes are 

 at once put into a close room, one on top of another, but forming a hollow square. If the room is large, 

 cover the pile of boxes with a cloth that will confine the sulphurous gas with which the fruit is to be 

 treated. Place in the centre of the square, and sufficiently remote from the boxes not to heat the 

 fruit, an oven of live coals. Throw on the burning coals an ounce of flowers of sulphur, and fasten 

 down the cloths. If the room is small and tight, the cloth is not necessary. Allow the fruit to re- 

 main in a dark room for a week, then expose to sunlight — the direct rays of the sun a part of the day 

 is best — until the skin is yellow. The fruit is then ready for market, or to be stored for future use, 

 for when thus treated it can be kept for an indefinite time. This sulphurous gas is of great benefit in 

 the curing of both lemon and orange. First, it aids in properly curing the fruit by toughening the 

 skin and drying up the watery particles ; second, it is fatal to all parasites of the orange, whether vege- 

 table or animal. I am satisfied that a very large per cent of the speedy decay of the orange so fatal 

 to shippers is occasioned by the germ of fungi left over from the former year in the packing houses, 

 and old boxes in which rotten fruit was conveyed. These germs lie dormant, waiting for a moist at- 

 mosphere favorable to their development ; they then develop and multiply with wondrous rapidity, 

 showing their work in the form of mould on any moist surface, but especially on fruit. Some years 

 ago I put into a basket that had held some decayed lemoms, on the sides of which basket at the time 

 of gathering I noticed a little mould, some very fine Tangerine oranges. In two days' time half the 

 fruit was entirely worthless. The fruit that was left on the tree, or that had been otherwise handled, 

 was entirely soui.d. This gave me a hint. It was a very wet season ; most of our shippers were losing 

 heavily. Commission merchants were constantly reporting, ''Fruit arrived in bad order," "Did not 

 pay expenses." I knew that sulphurous fumes were fatal to fungoids. I commenced to gather and 

 ship in the midst, of the damp season. I fumigated every box of fruit, and though mould had appeared 

 on the fruit as it hung on the trees, I heard no report of decayed fruit, but on the contrary had the 

 report of "Arrived in good condition," and "Good price." 



" I have not much experience in handling the lime, but I am convinced that this fruit, most val- 

 uable because of its healthfulness and its richness in citric acid, can be cured as easily as the lemon, 

 and preserved quite as long, if subjected to the treatment recommended for the lemon. This fruit 

 needs only to be known in our Northern market to be valued even more highly than the lemon. When 

 once brought into notice it will prove truly profitable to the grower. The yield is speedy and abundant. 



" The Florida lemon, marketed during the latter part of August and all of September and Octo- 

 ber, meets with little competition from foreign fruit." 



The Calif omian Fruitgrower says that the import of lemons into America is steadily increasing 

 the value rising from 2,501,426 dollars in the year 1885 to 4,831,334 dollars in 1892. 



BUDDING ORANGES. 



The following letter on the subject of budding oranges from Mr.D. Morris, Assistant Director of 

 Kew Gardens, is of great interest and value. 



In Bulletin No. 42 for April, I stated that "the climatic conditions are so much against the 

 operation of budding that, in my opinion, it will not be found worth while ever to adopt it in the Island," 



I am not prepared yet to modify my opinion until very many more experiments have been 

 carried out at Hope Gardens. The Superintendent will leave no method untried to ensure success, 

 but it is evident that the climatic conditions for the whole year must be considered in comparing 

 Lucknow and Jamaica, and not those obtaining only in March. 



In Gardening for India, Firininger says " In the Upper Provinces the budding is performed with 

 great facility at two seasons of the yoar : first, when the plants are about to start for their Spring 

 growth, and again when for their Midsummer growth, as at those times the bark separates most freely 

 from the wood. But, for some reason I am unable to explain, I have not found such to be the case 

 in the vicinity of Calcutta ; and budding can so seldom be performed there with success, that it is 

 rarely or never attempted, inarching being uniformly adopted instead." 



Now compare what he says about the difference in the climate between Bengal and these Upper 

 Provinces. 



" In Bengal what is called the 'Cold season' lasts, at the longest, not more than three months, 

 commencing in November and ending by February. The temperature at night, during that period at 

 times, will full as low as the freezing-point, — but this is of rare occurrence. Towards the close of 

 February connnences the hot season, which lasts till about the middle of June, when the periodical 

 rains usually set in. From March to May is the hottest period of the whole year. March and April 

 are the driest months. Some time in June the rain season begins, and lasts usually till about the 

 •^Olh of October. The greatest liuinidity prevails in August and September. During these months, 

 towards evening, the atmosphere is filled with vapour almost to saturation 



J 



