68o 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 2, 1888 
CITRUS FRUITS. 
In the report for 1887 of the College of Agriculture 
of California, Professor E. W. Hilgard gives some 
analyses which have recently been determined at the 
College, of Oitrus fruits, which are not only interest- 
ing, but most important, as showing the points of 
difference between the several fruits. 
Table showing the Chemical Composition of Citrus Fruits. 
Description- 
CP 
> 
Oranges : — 
Mediterranean Sweet 288 
Riverside Navel* 284 
St. Michael ... 158 
Malta Blood ... 139 
Lemons : — 
Lisbons ... 115 
Eureka ... 157 
Limes ... 54 
Percentage Results. 
Sugars. 
•X) p. 
.a s 
9 b S -2 
O O o < 
33'5 65-3 0-9 ? 4'47 P67 1-10 
30 0 70-0 ... 41-4 5-04 2-10 0-92 
17-3 80-1 2-C52'64-09 1-68 1-01 
26'8 73-2 ... 48'6 3-92 1-81 1'52 
357 63-9 0-4 43-4 
22-4 77-6 ... 45'2 
15-9 83-4 07 56-5 
679 
7-21 
6-8G 
It will be noted that the Navel and Malta Oranges 
and Eureka Lemons were found seedless, the largest 
proportion of seeds being found in the St. Michael 
oranges. The Navel shows the highest total sugar 
and lowest acid of all. " It thus would seem," says the 
Professor, " that, apart from its inviting outward 
appearance, the Riverside Navel orange owes its place 
in public favour to three chief points: a high degree 
of sweetness, with a low degree of acid, and the firm- 
ness of flesh which invites it to be actually eaten 
instead of being ' sucked ' as one is tempted to do 
with the softer oranges. The Mediterranean Sweet 
and the St. Michael dispute precedence, according as 
individual tastes differ in respect to size and flavour ; 
but the St. Michael seems to have a greater firmness 
of flesh in its favour. The refreshing acidity and 
peculiar flavour of the Blood orange place it in a 
different category from the other three. The first 
six columns of the foregoing table, however, furnish 
material for additional considerations, especially when 
oranges are sold by numbers and not by weight. 
The Mediterranean Sweet shows a slightly heavier 
weight than the Navel, but the larger proportion of 
pulp in the latter more than makes up the difference. 
The St. Michael shows the highest percentage of 
pulp of all, notwithstanding the relative abundance of 
seeds ; and hence a given weight of this variety 
would furnish the largest amount of eatable pulp, 
while if bought per thousand, the light weight of the 
fruit would leave the consumer materially ' short ' 
as compared with the Navel or Mediterranean Sweet. 
It was found that there is a true deterioration in 
oranges kept beyond the point of proper ripeness 
that amply justifies the preference of consumers for 
the freshest fruit." 
As regards Lemons, the comparison between the 
Lisbon and Eureka tells strongly in favour of the 
latter. It is larger, and has a higher precentago of 
pulp as well as of juice, while at the same time the 
latter is considerably richer in citric acid. The 
Limes stand nearly at the same point of acidity as 
the Lisbon, but show a considerably higher propor- 
tion of pulp, as well as of juice than either of the 
two Lemons, being fully 13 per cent above the Lisbon 
in the latter respect. It is understood by the trade, 
that oranges especially deteriorate materially after 
a certain period, independently of any actual decay ; 
and in special tests made in this regard last season 
it was shown that this deterioration manifests itself 
in diminution of both sugar and acid, as well as in 
a loss of flavour. The fruit gradually becomes taste- 
less. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
' Sample taken from a plate of fine Oranges which 
received the first prize for the best budded Orange, and 
best Orange on exhibition at Riverside Citrus Fair. 
THICK AND THIN PLANTING. 
It is often asked by the inexperienced — Should we 
plant thickly or thinly ? So much depends on soil, 
situation, or aspect and shelter, that it is difficult, even 
impossible, to give an answer to the question without 
full knowledge of the circumstances just named, and 
also of the sorts of trees that are to be planted. 
Another consideration which is of paramount importance 
in coming to a conclusion on the point is whether 
the object in planting is to establish an ornamental 
feature in the landscape merely or to obtain shelter, 
or simpiy to grow timber for commercial purposes. 
The latter is rarely the sole object of planting in this 
county, because the other two objects named are 
those that are chiefly sought after. But where waste 
land is planted with the view of improving the climate 
by providing shelter, thick planting should be the rule 
or, say, three feet apart. The plants grow more quickly 
when they give close shelter to each other. This 
consideration should always be the guide in planting 
for profit. Rapid growth is the point to be secured, 
and in bleak positions and bad aspects there is no 
means whereby that object can beattaiued more speedi- 
ly than by thick planting and moderate thinning 
afterwards. Open woods are not those to which the 
timber merchant would resort for the best quality 
of timber for whatever purpose. Growth is well 
known to be too slow and the fibre too short and 
brittle in such woods. The highest quality of timber 
is always produced in plantations that present an 
almost unbroken canopy of foliage. This is especially 
the case in plantations of pine or other coniferous 
trees when kept in reasonably close order they grow 
more freely upward and reach their ultimate height 
more quickly than if they are kept in open array. 
The soil in which the trees grow should be shaded 
more or less at all times by the ascending tops, but 
at the same time each tree should be allotted as much 
root space as will enable it to exist healthily. Iu 
ornamental planting, or where effect is the principal 
object, wider distances apart should be allowed. It 
is not necessary that this should be determined at the 
time of planting. The plants may be put iu as thickly 
as if they were being planted for profit alone, and 
with advantage. They will shelter each other and 
encourage rapid growth during the first years of their 
existence. But thinning must be begun at an earlier 
period, and the individual trees must have free space 
all round that is their branches should not overlap 
or intertwine with each other. The treatment should 
rather be to build up strudy constitution that will last 
than to force the trees to early maturity and marked 
value. _ The soil in which trees are grown should always, 
if possible, be sheltered from sun and wind and it is 
always better too if it is protected from heavy, 
battering rains, The leaf canopy overhead has this 
effect of breaking the fall of heavy rain which in 
heavy land especially prevents the surface from be- 
coming battered into a hard close condition which 
is inimical to perfect health in the trees. — Indian 
Agriculturist. 
_ » 
A Fbench inventor proposes to use a lye consisting 
of milk of lime with an addition of sea-salt in the manu- 
facture of paper. His allegation is that this lye contri- 
butes to the bleaching of the fibre. — Indian Agri- 
culturist. 
A Patekt has been taken out for treating fibres of the 
grass kiud, first by means of oil or oleic acid, which is 
said to have the property of softening or dissolving a 
resinous matter which cements the fibres together, then 
by alkaline solutions which remove the oil and resin, 
and makes the pectates soluble in water, producing a 
soft and clean fibre. — Indian Agriculturist. 
The Japanese have long been famous for the manu- 
facture of paper, especially the finest and tougher sorts. 
One of their latest achievements in this line is the pro- 
duction of a paper belt, suitable for driving machinery, 
and said to be stronger than ordinary leather. Now that 
European machines are being adopted in that country, 
this invention will prove exceedingly useful, for the 
Japanese are inferior tanners, and do not make good 
leather,— India n Agriculturist. 
