March 23,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
7GD 
ihe Hunter, and others. In localities of this description 
line, healthy, umbrageous orange-trees are planted in 
groves, their dark green glossy foliage contrasting beau¬ 
tifully with the clusters of deiicate white, waxy-looking 
flowers, which diffuse a rich fragrance in the surround¬ 
ing atmosphere, and attract by their perfume innume¬ 
rable swarms of bees, butterflies and other insects; while, 
at the same time, the fruit may he seen in every stage of 
ripening. It has always been found that lemon and 
orange trees thrive luxuriously on a sloping ground, in j 
sheltered situations, near the salt water, or under the j 
influence of the sea air, yet not exposed to the sea breeze, j 
They always grow best, too, where they can enjoy the 
genial warmth of the morning sun. 
The orange-tree generally begins to hear about the 
third or fourth year; hut growers seldom or never per¬ 
mit the fruit to come to maturity until the fifth or even 
the seventh or eighth year, by which time the tree has j 
attained a considei’able size, has more vigour, and will 
then probably, with care and attention, bear fruit to the ; 
■age of sixty or seventy years, and even more. Most 
orange*growers have a habit of planting the trees too 
close together. But this is a great mistake. There is 
not a tree that exhausts the soil more rapidly than the 
•orange; and thus, when there is not a fair distance 
between orange-trees at the planting, one is apt, in 
•time, to destroy the other. It is a common saying in 
orange-growing districts, that “the greatest enemy to 
the orange-tree is its own kind.” 
As the orange-tree increases in age, so the fruit im¬ 
proves in quality, that is, if it is originally a healthy 
tree and grafted on a good stock; the younger tiees 
bearing fruit with a thicker rind and abundance of 
.seeds. As the tree becomes older the skin becomes 
thinner, the fruit much more juicy, and the seeds dimi¬ 
nish in number. As a rule, the older the tree the thinner 
is the skin and the more luscious the flavour of the fruit. 
Some of the trees at the Azores bear at a very great age. 
It is no uncommon thing to see a tree a hundred years 
old still bearing plentifully a highly-prized thin-skinned 
orange, full of juice and free from pips. 
Mention has just been made of the seeds of the orange. 
All the species of the citron family may be propagated 
by seeds, grafting, budding, or layers. The plants raised 
from seed are generally used for grafting and bud¬ 
ding, as they are considered to possess greater dura¬ 
bility and productiveness. The fruit is sweeter; but 
they take a longer time to come into bearing. 
By judicious pruning, the health and graceful appear¬ 
ance of the tree are much improved; and when it is borne 
in mind that the blossoms of the citron tribe are pro¬ 
duced in the form of terminating peduncles on the wood 
-of the current year, the object of pruning ought to be 
to encourage the production of young wood in every part 
■of the tree. The wood of the citron tribe is hard, com¬ 
pact and durable. This family is remarkable for the 
dotted appearance of all parts of the plants, in conse¬ 
quence of their abounding in little cells filled with a 
volatile and frequently highly fragrant oil. For in¬ 
stance, on holding up the foliage of the orange-tree to 
the light, it is observed to be covered with innumerable 
minute glands, which secrete an essential oil in large 
quantities. 
The flowers of the orange have somewhat of a warm 
and bitter aromatic taste, and are not only held in high 
esteem as a perfume, but are used for making orange- 
flower water, as they give out their flavour by infusion. 
This preparation is extensively used, more particularly 
among the French, for nervous and hysterical com-1 
plaints. 
The Chinese scent their teas with orange-flowers. 
The method has been thus described :—“In a corner of • 
the building there lay a large heap of orange-flowers, 
which tilled the air with the most delicious perfume. A 
man was engaged in sifting them to get out the stamens 
-and other smaller portions of the flower. This process 
was necessary, in order that the flowers might be readily 
silted out of the tea after the scenting had been accom¬ 
plished. The orange-flowers being fully expanded, the 
large petals were easily separated from the stamens and 
smaller ones. In one hundred parts, seventy per cent, were 
used and thirty thrown away. When the orange is used 
its flowers must be fully expanded, in order to bring out 
the scent. When the flowers had been sifted over in the 
manner described, they were ready for use. In the mean¬ 
time, the tea to be scented had been carefully manipu¬ 
lated, and appeared perfectly dried and finished. At 
this stage of the process it is worthy of observing that, 
while the tea was perfectly dry, the orange-flowers were 
just as they had been gathered from the trees. Large 
quantities of the tea were now mixed up with the flowers, 
in the proportion of forty pounds of flow r crs to one hun¬ 
dred pounds of tea. 
“This dry tea and the undried flowers were allowed to 
be mixed together for the space of twenty-four hours. 
At the end of this time the flowers were sifted out of the 
tea, and, by the repeated sifting and winnowing process 
which the tea had afterwards to undergo, they were 
nearly all got rid of.” 
The flowers of the Seville orange yield a very delicious 
water and essential oil, which are much patronized by 
the Egyptian ladies. 
Piesse says, in his work on the art of perfumery, 
“Some plants yield more than one odour, which are 
quite distinct and characteristic. The orange-tree, for 
instance, gives three—from the leaves one called petit 
grain ; from the flowers we procure neroli; and from 
the rind of the fruit essential oil of orange, essence of 
Portugal. On this account, perhaps, this tree is the most 
valuable of all to the operative perfumer.” 
Some idea of the commercial importance of the flower- 
growing trade may he formed wdien it is said that one 
of the large perfumers of Grasse and Paris employs, an¬ 
nually, 80,000 lb. of orange-flowers, 50,000 lb. of cassia- 
flowers, 54,000 lb. of rose leaves, 32,000 lb. of jasmine- 
blossoms, 32,000 lb. of violets, 20,000 lb. of tuberose, 
16,000 lb. of lilac, besides rosemary, mint, thyme, lemon, 
citron and other odorous plants, in larger proportion.— 
Good Health. 
THE BEHAVIOUR OF STARCH AND DEXTRINE 
TO IODINE AND TANNIC ACID. 
BY V. GRIESSMAYER. 
The author describes minutely the effects produced on 
the addition of a weak iodine solution and of tannic acid 
solution, to starch solutions which have been kept tor 
various lengths of time exposed to the air at the ordi¬ 
nary temperature, the conclusion at which he arrives 
being that filtered starch-paste is in a state of continual 
chemical change. The solutions, employed were:— 
1. A decimille-normal iodine solution. 2. An aqueous 
solution of tannic acid containing 3 *5 grm. pure tannin 
in 300 c. c. 3. A filtered starch-solution, which was 
always prepared by triturating 3*5 grm. wheaten starch 
with 50 c. c. cold water, pouring into 300 c. c. boiling 
water, boiling for a few minutes, and then filtering whilst 
hot. On adding either of the reagents to 20 c. c. starch 
solution, the following reactions were observed:— 
lsjf dag. —With iodine, 1-7 c. c. produced no coloration 
whatever; 7*5—8 c. c., a violent shade; 9—10 c. c., a faint 
blue, which became distinctly blue only alter 16 c. c. had 
been added. With tannic acid, the first drop produced 
a precipitate of tannate of starch, which redissolv ed on 
shaking; the second drop a permanent precipitate. 
This latter is dissolved on warming, but reappears on 
cooling. No alteration in these reactions on the second 
and third days. . . . 
4 th day. —A flocculent separation was visible m the 
starch- solution, which, after filtration, exhibited the 
same reactions as on the first day. 
