April, 1910. J 



339 



Horticulture. 



The Maltese Blood is another choice 

 variety which derives its name from the 

 dark colour of the fruit which is streaked 

 and mottled with red. The fruit is of 

 medium-size, oval, juicy, fine flavoured, 

 thin skin, and fairly smooth, and has 

 but few seeds. The tree is thornless and 

 of dwarf habits, and can consequently be 

 planted closer together ; it is a prolific 

 bearer. 



The Mediterranean Sweet is a thorn- 

 less tree of dwarf habits and a prolific 

 bearer, inclined to bear too heavily. 

 Fruit, medium to large, very solid, and 

 with few seeds ; pulp and skin of fine 

 texture. This is an excellent carrying 

 orange. 



The Joppa is another fine orange. It 

 came originally from Joppa in Jerusalem. 

 The fruit is large, roundish-oval, firm, of 

 deep orange red colour, nearly seedless, 

 thin skinued, sweet and juicy, ripens 

 early, and hangs well. Tree thornless, 

 upright and vigorous ; good bearer. 



The Jappa is an excellent variety, 

 largely grown in Turkey and Egypt. 

 Fruit large, oval and somewhat nar- 

 rowed at the base, very sweet and juicy, 

 Skin smooth and highly coloured. Trees 

 of only medium growth and heavy 

 cropper. 



Marketing. 



In picking oranges, care must be taken 

 not to injure them, as bruising, however 

 slightly, will cause early decay. The 

 fruit, for either keeping or for the 

 market, should always be clipped with a 

 pair of clippers leaving a little of the 

 stem, it must not be pulled off the tree 

 as is the usual practise in Ceylon. The 

 fruit should always be allowed to get 

 fully ripe. If for keeping for any length 

 of time or for export they should be 

 picked in this stage, but never before, as 

 an orange picked while yet green never 

 makes a good sweet fruit, but for quick 

 sales they can be allowed to hang on the 

 tree after ripening. Oranges for storing 

 should never be picked in damp weather. 

 If there has been two or three days' rain 

 the oranges should not be picked for a 

 week afterwards, as the rain tends to 

 soften and swell the rind, and in conse- 

 quence the fruit does not keep well. 



Storing Oranges. 

 I have kept oranges in Australia for 

 six months in slightly damp sand free 

 from vegetable matter, treating them 

 thus. After they were carefully picked 

 with a little of the stem attached to 

 them, and at a proper degree of ripeness, 

 they were allowed to stand in large 

 boxes of little depth, in a cool airy room 

 for three to four days to "sweet," that 

 is to get rid of some of the moisture in 



the rind. They were then packed in 

 sand very slightly damp in large boxes, 

 ordinary large packing cases being used, 

 taking care that the oranges did not 

 touch each other. After six months 

 they were found to be in excellent condi- 

 tion and sold at best prices in the 

 Melbourne market. I have known 

 oranges to keep a year by this simple 

 process. A friend of mine preparing to 

 pack his crop of oranges, in emptying 

 the sand from the boxes he had pre- 

 viously used, came across two or three 

 oranges that had been accidentally left 

 when the last crop of oranges were sent 

 to market. They were then one year in 

 the boxes and in perfect condition. 



It must be remembered that bruised 

 oranges, and those not of a proper 

 degree ot ripeness, or those pulled from 

 off the tree, will not keep. 



—Ceylon Independent. 



HORTICULTURAL COURSE. 



(University of London, S, E. Agricul- 

 tural College, Wye, Kent.) 

 The course of instruction in Practical 

 and Theoretical Horticulture extends 

 over two years (six College terms), but 

 students attending this course are 

 strongly advised to spend at least three 

 of the vacations in the orchards of 

 the College or of an up-to-date grower, 

 so that they may be familiar with the 

 operations of a complete year. The 

 course of instruction is under the direc- 

 tion of a successful commercial fruit- 

 grower, who gives the practical in- 

 struction in the orchards and by means 

 of lectures. 



At the end of the course, in July, 

 an examination is held and certificates 

 awarded to those students who satisfy 

 the examiners in the different subjects 

 of the course, and who have regularly 

 attended the lectures and practical 

 classes. 



Students in the Horticultural course 

 can obtain instruction in Poultry and 

 Bee-keeping, and have access to all the 

 College equipment— library, reading- 

 room, museum, etc. They are under 

 the same rules and regulations with 

 regard to fees, residence, etc., as other 

 students attending the College, details 

 of which will be found in the College 

 prospectus. 



The following is an out-line of the work 

 to be completed in the two years 

 course :— 



