THB HARDY ORANOB 
65 
of Elder, with lilac-purple falls and dull 
yellow standards tinged with purple, 
whereas in samhiic'ma the falls are claret 
purple, with lighter shading upon the 
yellow standards. Both come from Cen- 
tral Europe, extending eastward to the 
Caucasus. /r/> paradoxa being one of 
the easiest to-manage of the 07icocyclus 
section, and - /. sambucina giving no 
trouble at all,^their offspring, /. " Par- 
samb^' is probably less difficult to grow 
than any pure Oiicocyclus. As its leaves 
tend to grow in winter, it should have 
a sheltered place at the foot of a south 
wall, where protection can be given in 
severe weather, and where, after flower- 
ing, it may be shielded by a glass-light 
from excessive wet. It has done well 
with me under these conditions, thriving 
in well-drained , loamy soil , not wanting 
in lime. R. IRWIN LYNCH. 
Botanic Gardens, Cambridge. 
THE HARDY ORANGE {Mgle 
sepia ri a). 
Hardy over a large part of Britain, and 
utterly unlike any other shrub, it is strange 
that this little Orange should be so seldom 
planted. True, the sight of its fruits is only 
enjoyed now and again, when a mild spring 
allows the early flowers to set, but its fragrant 
white flowers never fail to open early in May, 
and its dark spiny stems are full of interest and 
make it a real gain. It is of compact habit, 
prickly as a hedgehog from the large branch- 
ing spines upon its stems, varied only by a few 
leaves divided in threes and carried upon short, 
winged stems. They are never enough to give 
a leafy appearance, and are thickest on young 
shoots of the year which have not flowered, 
unfolding a few days after the flowers and only 
reaching full size in June. In seasons of free 
bloom the leaves are always more scanty than 
at other times, and though they fall in the 
autumn after turning a clear yellow colour, 
their loss is hardly noticed. The flowers burst 
forth singly or in little stemless clusters all 
along the shoots, and are large, fragrant, and 
beautiful in contrast with the dark green bark. 
There is sometimes a second crop of flowers 
in autumn, especially when the early flowers 
fail to set fruit. The little oranges are from 
I to 2 inches wide, with a rugged hairy skin 
ripening to bright yellow, and a very thick 
rind, what little pulp there is being tough, 
bitter, and often full of pips. Though rarely 
plentiful enough for effect in this country, 
there is now and then a season in which they 
set freely, sheltered plants in the south and 
south-west being the best in this way. In the 
south, and even in the warmer parts of Central 
Europe, it is nearly evergreen and fruits freely, 
one small bush often yielding upwards of a 
Fruiting Spray ok Hardy Orange. 
hundred fruits. Though far from palatable 
when raw, the Japanese serve them as a sweet- 
meat after boiling in sugar, and cooked in the 
same way by certain French enthusiasts, the 
green fruits are pronounced excellent, with a 
peculiar blend of the flavours of Orange and 
Juniper. The plant is easily raised from cut- 
tings of half-ripened wood, pressed firmly into 
pots of sandy soil and kept close in a frame 
until rooted ; or from the pips, which the ripe 
