January i, i8qt.] THE TROPICAl. 
into ridges before planting, for the double purpose of 
securing good drainage and a sufficient depth of looss 
soil for the free development of the roots. — S antiago 
Dod. — Louisiana Planter. 
.*■ 
OEANGE CULTIVATION TllL SATSUMA. 
Not many years back, any orange was simply an 
orange, with but one main distinction of variety, given 
as to whether it came from Messina or from Havana. 
Then the Havana oranges, regardless cf siz“, shape, 
color or quality, were the top notch, and supplied the 
desires of those wanting the best. 
The opening of ornu e culture on a commercial scale 
in our own I'Torida 1 as changed .all this, and practica'ly 
ilriven the foreign fruit out of the market, save as poor 
crops at home or especial cheapners give it entrance. 
And our orange lovers have learned to distinguish, eien 
in the North, between the many varieties received 
from F.orida, and fri quently between the same variety 
grown in ditt'ereut loealities in the flowery state. 
The writer well remembers his first acq' aln'ance 
with one very distinct orange, the Mandarin type, 
which, from nn abuii ant crop, s rayed into the in- 
terior Pennsylvania markets a few years aro. The 
peculiar fl itteued shape attracted the eye, and a closer 
examinaiion established the little fruit liimly in the 
favor of many who then first obtained it. The varieties 
of the species to which all of this type belong (Citrus 
Aurantium nohilis) are many, and much superior to ihe 
original form which pleased us. .All possess the peculi- 
arity of a loose skin, readily removi d without break- 
ing the skm of the interior segmtiits. 
The batsuma — also called Oonslr'u. Kii See Hess, 
etc — is probably the highest development of the IMan- 
darin type. It is a pretty orange of the flattened 
.shape of the class, but wit.'i a rougher skiu than either 
the Mandarin or Tangierine. Tuis skio is a reddish 
orange in color, and of peculiar leathf ry texture. The 
Bfgments are but lo sely adherent, so that the orange 
is readily eateu out ot baud witliout sp iling the juice; 
this, however, is chuiacterisiio of the species, as is 
also the peculiar h oseness of the skiu, which 1 as 
caused these varieties to be called “kid glove” or- 
anges in the market, from the facility with which the. 
skin is removed. Tbe impiessioii that a good orange 
cannot be eujoyed gracefully will not be verified in 
the case C’f this type; the small, delicate segments can 
be separated and eueu without in the least suiling the 
hands or face. It is practically see.llesa ; some speci- 
mens have one or two small seed.s. Being without 
the rank cud somew liat “fishy” odor of tbe typ, it 
dors not olfend the i Oilrils, while it surely lickle.s the 
palate; the flavor is something su p ising. I have 
frequently hando.i sections of a Satsuma, wiihout com- 
ment, to frien Is not acquainted with it, waitiug in 
silence the exclamation, sure to come: “Why it 
tastes like a cherry ! ” Sometimes the impression was 
that of a str.iwberry flavor, and I have noted two or 
three entirely distinct bouquets, if they may he so 
called, in the same fruit. To mest peop.e this orange 
is d. licious, and other varieties, h .wever good, lose 
their de.sirability in comparifon with it. 
Tt.e Satsunia is said lo have been introduced into 
Florida about 1880 by Mr.s. General Van Valkei burgh, 
who brought it from the island of Kiusiu, one of the 
Japanese group. S noe, it has also been introduced by 
way of Oalifr rnia, under its Japnut se name — Oorifhiu 
or Uushiu. There is no dilforcuco, although many 
claims have been male as lo the superiority of the 
California sort. .A critical comparison of the fruit 
of each shows tli.m to be idrutical. It is another 
one of tho many exccller.t t dugs wbiih our Japanese 
friends are discovering to us, at rl for which wo should 
be grateful to tho “ A'ankees of tho Kist.” 
The tree is lather dwarf, an ! rcclinate in habit, tho 
branchOB droop'ug to lire giMi.rd, reseinbling some- 
what a Kilmarnock willow in tliis rc.spect. It is en- 
tii'Cy thornless, and matvcllonsly prodrrctive — a tree 
planted hut luiu' years tn Ihe gtouiuis of 1!. 1). II’ yt, 
at Bay View, Floriihr, had on it (idn t'tnlts early itt 
December. This tree, which is il'ustraUil hcrcwiUi 
AGRICULTURIST. S^9 
from a photograph, was feet high, and about 7 feet 
through. This dwarf habit renders the fruit easy to 
gather, and the tree is exceedingly hamhomo and at- 
tractive in appearance, as may he imagined. 
A rL-uiKrkai)le feature of the Satsuma when budded 
on Citrus trifoliata stock is its hardiness, which is yet 
an unkco .ui quautity, as none have ever succumbed, 
even wln re tho ground has been frozen several inches 
deep, ft i.s tuvgested that it may introduce profitable 
orange cu turo into Texas ; trees of Satsuma set there 
several years ago have done remarkably well. Indeed, 
it is po.ssible that in a she'tered spot the va'ioty may 
be hardy as far norih as Delaware, and by acclima- 
tion come yet more into the so-f ir-forbidden land for 
oravgo cu ture ; who knows! AYith a hardy stock and 
a still 1 ai'diec 1 ud, the elements are certainly favoi- 
ahle for an exteosivo widening of the “orange belt.” 
The commercial importance of the Satsuma cannot 
be overestima'ed. The past winter one nurseryman 
disposed of his crop at per box, wholesale, in New 
Yoik, and the demand is certainly limited only by the 
supply, as the pecu iar features of the fruit create a 
taste for it in any one favorably impressed at first, 
even where there is a dislike tor tho original Mandarin 
type. The expense of growing a crop must be less 
than for etber vnrietie^', so that even when the vastly 
increased production reduces prices, there will still be 
a profitable margin. The variety keeps fairly well, 
ano packs very at'rac'ively, owing to its peculiar skin. 
There li*8 been extensive planting of budded Sat- 
sumas in Fl .iida in the last tw'O or three years, parti- 
cularly since the, tiees have been offered by nursery- 
mfti at reasot'a'de price.s. A large production of the 
fruit may therefore be ex,reoted in the next few 
years, when all the country will have a chance to 
hec> me acquainted wii'h this fine variety. 
Owing to tho dwarf habit of tho Satsuma it is ad- 
mirably adapted to pot culture; moderate sized jilanta 
grown for two yeats only in greenhouses in Virginia 
have produc' d 40 to CO fruits (aoh, and make a very 
handsome display when set with the odly shaped 
oranges. Indeed, tlieie can he but little question that 
this is one of the most valuable introductions of many 
years among citrus fruJs. 
J. Horace McFarland. 
— Farmer and Fruit Grower. 
N'lllTUES OE THE UAPAAV. 
(Editor, '' Fanner and Fruit Grower.'"'^ 
It is probable tl at many peop e who have read of 
tiie singular qualities of the tropic papaw di-missed 
the sui ject as etnir. ly too fanciful for serious atten- 
tion. So I at first regarded tbe claim that a tough 
beef steak, wrapped in the brui.'^eJ leaves of the 
papaw for a few boure, would become tender. How- 
ever, after much delay, I decided to try if the fruit 
would not assi't digestion, a reasonable decinotion if 
the fruit or leaf would digest tough beef out of the 
st 'mach. I scon found the fruit a perfect remedy 
for ind'geslion. I made many inquiries hut found 
nobody among tbe oln settlers in Mana-tee and Do- 
Soto counties who had heard such a claim for the 
papaw before. But at Fort Myers, Lae county, I 
found netiriy all the cld residents knew of it valuable 
properties. A doubt with me arose that if so potent 
might it not ho dangerous in some way. But the 
necessity for a remedy fer indigestion led to some 
mouths use. of tlie fruit for that purpo.ve (aud I must 
say they are very ngrceable “ mtdieine ”), and instead 
of any ill effee s i r necessity for th ir continued use 
as 1 fanci' d night re ult, they seem to hive utatly, 
if not entirely, cured the chronic indigestion from, 
wh ch I have sutf red for seven or ligiit years, and 
w Inch grew worse, very perceptibly, ♦ ach year, thougli 
good phy.'-icians wore consulie 1 and their remedies 
trieil, wi:li nrperminent improvement. This sounds 
like a prteiit medicine ccrtific.;to, but 1 do not see 
ho.v 1 c.'iii dr.w ntloiitirn to .S'l important a matter 
in a liettcr way. I vi-li to induco people to plant at 
lo.ist half a dozen of the trees for each case of in- 
