205 



2. Spungy, spugnosi, are those whose rind is completely detached 

 form the shrunken pulp. 



3. Fetiferous, or double-fruit, are also of very little value from 

 their deficiency of oil-cells and of juice. 



4. Pitted, petecchiate, are those oranges which are marked with yel- 

 low-greenish spots, having a dry centre. They soon lose all their value 

 from their atrophied condition. 



Lemons. — Although the main conditions under which lemon trees 

 thrive generally are very similar to those required by their congeners, 

 there are differences between the manner and seasons of collecting the 

 fruits, of these two great varieties of the citrus, which are connected 

 with the nature of the different fruit. 



There are certain peculiarities of growth among the lemon plants, 

 which deserve to be mentioned as regulating the proper picking sea- 

 sons. 



These peculiarities consist chiefly in the abnormal crops of many 

 trees, and which may be conveniently ranged under three heads. 



Under that of March lemons, or marzainoli, are meant the fruit pro- 

 duced by March blossoms ; they are not much esteemed on the market, 

 and fetch very low prices on account of the many blemishes and defects 

 they present, although they are sufficiently rich in juice to repay the 

 expense of extraction or condensation. 



Under the head of May fruit, or maggiarnoli, are included those 

 lemons which are born of the May and June flowers, more 

 particularly of the latter, during the first two decades of June, 

 and ought, therefore, rather to be termed June flowers or June 

 lemons, instead of May fruit, a term perhaps originating in and relat- 

 ting back to the sixteenth century, ere the introduction of the reformed 

 Gregorian style, when the first decade of June, according to the new 

 style then affirmed, had previously belonged to May, and thus the so- 

 called Maggiarnoli did then really belong to flowers of that month for 

 the most part. The fruit derived from these late blossoms is of the 

 finest quality, and highly prized, both on account or their intrinsic su- 

 periority and of the season during which they can be sold ; this, from 

 the long period they are borne on the trees, comprises the hottest sum- 

 mer months. 



Under the name of bastard lemons, bastardoni, which are sometimes 

 left hanging on the trees for over a year, are comprised all those ir- 

 regular crops of lemons which are picked between the months of April 

 and November, and which do not belong to the two classes just men- 

 tioned. They are commonly rich in juice, but lacking in essential oil, 

 and are mostly consumed at home, where they command fair prices 

 fr©m their seasonable appearance during the long hot summer. 



( To be continued. J 



