164 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[December 12. 
now be in the nurseries. I took some pains in obtain¬ 
ing it as soon as the Mexican plant first flowered with 
j me, and succeeded so far, that I made sure the cross 
j was a true one; but soon after that “nobody” killed 
the plants, and yet, somehow or other, they were killed, 
and I was so disheartened, that I refrained from a 
> second disappointment with them to this day; but I 
would strongly advise others to attempt to mix those 
| four species, and also to try and effect a cross by either 
of them with Deutzia scabra, for I have very little faith 
on the botanical distinctions which raise it to the 
standard of a natural genus. Philadelphia! having 
three or four times the number of stamens that Deutzia 
can boast of, may be owing more to the distance be¬ 
tween Europe or central America and Japan than to 
anything else which, in the eyes of a gardener, can fur¬ 
nish marks of distinction sufficient to separate plants 
having so much of a family likeness. Besides that 
Deutzia also has a section of dwarf puny bushes like 
Philadelphus itself. D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
The Orange Tribe. —If we chose to moralise upon 
the fickleness of taste, the history of the estimation in 
which at different times these plants have been held 
would furnish an appropriate subject. Once they were 
next to idolized. Considering the beauty of their foliage, 
the perfume of their flowers, and the rich flavour and 
varied usefulness of their fruit, we cannot but admire 
the desire that was manifested for their possession some 
two hundred years ago. Towards the close of the 
eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries, 
the introduction of novelties threw the once coveted 
orange-trees into the shade. In the tastes for plants, as 
well as in the affairs of man, there is an ebbing and 
flowing tide, and oranges, for some time drifting back¬ 
wards, are now feeling the ripple of the returning wave 
of public approbation. Well worthy are they of resto¬ 
ration to favour; fitted, as they are, to flourish against 
garden walls in the climate of London, and southwards, 
especially if hollow, heated, and protected with glass in 
winter; and even without these advantages, if secured 
from frost by wooden shutters or straw frames, suited to 
give an air of eastern luxury to our flower-gardens and 
lawns in summer; though the manner in which we em¬ 
ploy them too often, in sticking them up in great gawky 
tubs and boxes, is anything but complimentary to a re¬ 
fined taste; capable of ornamenting at all times green¬ 
houses and conservatories, clothing their back walls, as 
well as those of forcing-houses, with their foliage, fruit, 
and flowers, where the shade would prevent many other 
things from growing; and when the smaller kinds are 
used, or if somewhat larger are propagated by cuttings, 
then yielding nice little blooming plants for the window 
or sheltered balcony. 
The Citrus tribe was originally introduced from India 
and China, but has long been naturalized, and its varieties 
increased in the warmer countries of Europe. It has 
been cultivated in Britain, with various degrees of 
success, between two and three centuries. Many dis¬ 
tinct species, or what are termed such, are now in cul¬ 
tivation ; and the varieties of these are very numerous. 
Without considering these, I shall allude in a few words 
before proceeding farther, to what may be termed the 
popular distinctions of the family. 
First. There is the well known Orange group (Citrus 
aurantia). The leaves of this, as well as of the Shaddock, 
are oblong, entire; the foot-stalks winged with stipules; 
the flowers are generally white; fruit nearly round, and of 
a golden orange colour, used for dessert and many other 
purposes. There are a great many varieties. The small¬ 
leaved kinds are more curious than interesting. With 
their exception, any may be chosen, when ornament is the i 
main object. When fruit is the object, the common blood- 
fruited Maltese, Sweet China, Seville, Mandarin, and 
St. Michaels, are the best—the two last especially so. ! 
The Seville is the best for marmalade ; and as it is hardy, 
has large white flowers, and produces them plentifully, i 
it is the best where bloom is the object. Its seeds sown 
are also good for stocks for grafting tenderer kinds. The j 
Otaheite is a sweet little thing, almost always in bloom, 
well fitted for windows, but its bloom though sweet are 
small, and purple on the outside. 
Secondly. The Citron (Citrus mediea): leaves not 
winged at the foot-stalk, toothed at the edges; flowers 
purplish on the outside; fruit large, yellow, warted and 
furrowed ; used for preserves, lemonade, &c. The Madras 
Citron is the largest and best; seeds sown produce plants 
good stocks for other kinds. 
Thirdly. The Lemon (Citrus limonum) : leaves 1 
generally similar to the Citron; flowers reddish ex¬ 
ternally; fruit pale yellow, knobbed at the point; ob- I 
long, not so warty as the Citron; uses similar. The 
common is as good as any. There are great varieties in 
the fruit, because seedlings are fruited more than in the 
other divisions. 
Fourthly. The Lime (Citrus aoida): leaves without 
wings at the base ; flowers white and small; fruit 
globular and small; acid more bitter than sharp—used 
in confectionary, &c. 
Fifthly. The Shaddock (Citrus decumana) ; leaves 
much larger, but in other respects similar to the Orange; 
flowers large and white; fruit large, greenish yellow, 
roundish, but flattened at the ends; juice cool and re¬ 
freshing ; is considered, however, more beautiful than 
useful. As size here is an object, the variety termed 
the largest-fruited should be chosen. The Kitley Shad¬ 
dock is the hardiest—reared at Kitley, in Devonshire. 
I have already incidentally alluded to the circum¬ 
stances in which the Citrus tribe may be cultivated; 
these are— 
1st. Against walls with a south aspect, or nearly so. 
If the wall is hollow, aU the better; if fined or piped 
for artificial heat, better still. But waving all these ad¬ 
vantages, we shall suppose the spot to be thus occupied as 
a sheltered nook near a friend’s house, and that neither 
firing nor glass is to be used. The site should be 
made thoroughly dry. The compost should be raised 
above, not sunk below, or placed on a level with the 
surrounding soil. It should be fibry loamy soil, with 
little manure of any kind (and that hardened by drying) 
intermixed with it. Instead of manure, it should be 
kept open with pieces of charcoal, sandstone, and lime- 
rubbish. The orange requires rich feeding; but that 
can be given by rich surfacfedressings and manure- 
water. As much as possible of the surfacings of one 
year should be picked off before the other is put on. 
This will tend to preserve the open fibry nature of the 
soil much longer. A large space need not be made at 
first; it will be best to make additions of fresh compost 
as needed; it need not be deeper than eighteen inches. 
The plants chosen must be large, and well-feathered to 
the bottom. The roots must be disentangled, and spread 
out in the compost. The beginning of June will be a 
good period for planting. The plants must be syringed 
several times during the day, and shaded from bright 
sunshine sometime afterwards. In fact, until thoroughly 
used to it, oranges out of doors would be the better for a 
gauze netting in very bright days in summer. The 
preparations for winter would consist in a broad tem¬ 
porary coping, and wooden shutters reaching from the 
ground to the coping. The best mode of applying these 
will at once suggest themselves. They may be partially, 
and frequently wholly, removed in fine days in winter. 
Growing in such soil, the wood will be well hardened; 
