65 
RIPENING OF THE AURANTIA. 
In reply to the query, respecting the ripening in Britain of the 
lemon and the orange, we have to say that fruits of this descrip¬ 
tion do come to some sort of maturity in this country,—that is, 
they grow to a certain size, cease to grow, and then decay ; and 
the pulp which is in them is acid ; but neither rind nor pulp re¬ 
semble those of the fruits of more southern and congenial climates. 
The rind is thin and leathery, and almost destitute of that essen¬ 
tial oil, to which the fruits owe their particular odour. Then, in 
the pulp, the aroma or flavour is almost entirely wanting, and 
the taste is merely an acid, and that not of the most agreeable 
kind. 
This holds true of the oranges grown in France, as well as 
those of Britain ; and thus, though the Aurantia are not, strictly 
speaking, tropical fruits, they cannot be grown beyond certain 
latitudes, or except where the air is of a peculiar character. 
We grow the pine apple in our stoves to as high perfection as 
it can be grown in its native localities ; and as this is a more 
tropical fruit than any of the orange tribe, some may wonder why 
it comes to greater perfection. The reason is, however, obvious : 
the pine apple is a plant which loves heat and a rank atmosphere; 
whereas the orange tribe come to perfection only in the purest 
breezes which heaven can blow. Therefore, though shelter and 
artificial heat may keep them alive, make them grow vigorously, 
and bear flowers and fruit, they cannot give the flavour. That 
must be the work of nature, and can be obtained only by the 
operation of natural causes, which no art of man can imitate. It 
is the same with the highly aromatic spices, and with the peculiar 
odour of some flowers. It is in fact a very peculiar climatal 
adaptation, and one to which we may have again to revert on a 
more extensive scale. In the mean time, we hope we have said 
enough to satisfy our inquirer. 
VOL. it. no. in. 
IC 
