MARCH. 
53 
his gathering of Oranges fit to eat was an accidental occurrence; and we 
are led to suppose from the silence of gardeners for nearly two hundred 
years as to their culture, that the Orange-eating world has felt perfectly 
satisfied with imported Oranges, brought quickly by fast-sailing vessels. 
Still, the difference between Oranges freshly gathered from the trees, and 
the very finest imported, is most remarkable; there is a crispness and fine 
aroma in Oranges freshly gathered difficult to realise, unless they are 
promptly compared with imported fruit; they are indeed a luxury, and, as 
such, will be cultivated ere long in every good garden. 
The houses best adapted for their cultivation are the large span-roofed, 
24 feet wide, 6 feet high at each side, and 15 feet high in the centre. A 
house of this size will require eight four-inch hot-water pipes, four on each 
side, as artificial heat is required all the year to ripen Oranges in one season 
perfectly. 
A smaller span-roofed house, 6£ feet high at each side, and 12 feet high 
in the centre, heated by four four-inch hot-water pipes, two on each side, is 
almost as eligible for Orange-culture as one even of the larger size. A 
house of these dimensions, with a central path, and a border on each side 
planted with Orange trees, would form a pleasant and productive Orange 
garden; but to form an Orange grove, so as to have trees of fine growth, and 
to give abundant crops, the larger house must be resorted to. 
From the experience I have gained, I firmly believe that no conservatory, 
no Orchid-house, no greenhouse, is half so beautiful or interesting as an 
Orange-house constructed on the principles I now advocate, and provided 
with fixed roofs, rafters 24 inches apart, glazed with large pieces of glass, 
and admitting abundance of light; so that in December, when the trees are 
covered with their golden fruit, and many of them showing their snowy-white, 
perfumed flowers, the scene is indeed enchanting, and is enhanced by the 
agreeable temperature, which need not be higher than from 50° to 60° Fahr. 
(10° to 15° Cent.) in cloudy weather. It is not fierce heat in winter that 
ripening Oranges require, but an even agreeable temperature, such as is ex¬ 
perienced in the Azores during that season of the year. 
The houses above-mentioned should have side ventilation, as in orchard- 
houses—viz., an opening in each side of the large house 2 feet wide, for the 
smaller houses 1 foot wide; these openings should be in the centre of each 
side, and shutters of wood or sashes employed to close them, the latter, of 
course, being the most agreeable. 
In houses thus treated, Orange trees may be cultivated in pots or tubs, 
or planted in the borders. There is no doubt that more rapid growth would 
take place if such borders were heated by having hot-water pipes placed 
2 feet under the surface; but from recent experience I am inclined to think 
this is not absolutely necessary, for if the borders are raised 18 inches above 
the surface, they would have sufficient heat from the atmosphere of the 
house, and their temperature would be quite equal to sustain the trees in 
health. 
The cultivation of dessert Orange trees in pots or tubs is very simple. 
The compost they require consists of equal parts of peat, loam, and manure 
thoroughly decomposed; the two former should not be sifted, but chopped 
up with the pieces of turf and roots, so as to form a rough compost. The 
trees will grow in this freely, and bear abundantly; but they should have 
gentle, constant, root heat; this is best given by enclosing hot-water pipes 
in a shallow chamber of bricks, and placing the pots on a flooring of slates 
or tiles forming the roof of the chamber. 
d 2 
