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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 38

Orange and Lemon Products of the World

page 45

Orange and Lemon Products of the World.

The statistics of the orange trade, both in this country and in Europe, bear out the statement that but few valuable fruits ever exceed the demand. The following table, showing the importations of oranges and lemons into the United States for the years named, and the consumption of the same, would seem to be sufficient proof of this:

Fiscal Year. Values.
1868 *$1,812,180 54
1869 2,080,983 63
1870 2,418,667 97
1871 2,874,742 34
1872 3,369,717 76
1873 3,085,659 91
1874 691,922 87
1875 4,233,325 24
1876 3,412,027 45
1877 3,073,304 34

The importations into Great Britain show that the trade and consumption in these fruits have more than doubled in that country during the past ten years. The following table is taken from official returns made by the British Government, and accurately indicate the increase in the trade:

Year. Quantity. Bushels. Value.
1865 1,566,745
1866 1,711,857
1867 1,453,566 £ 744,732
1868 1,806,372 876,197
1869 1,939,363 927,804
1870 1,933,421 648,056
1871 2,376,831 1,008,954
1872 2,385,160 1,154,270
1873 2,308,208 1,120,309
1874 2,403,338 1,158,480
1875 2,861,719 1,336,247
1876 2,995,323 1,258,565

In 1870 the official returns of Great Britain give the following named countries as those from which their supplies were received:

Quantity. Bushels. Value.
Portugal 273,296 £ 92,313
Azores 826,760 281,502
Spain 514,676 180,687
Sicily 287,909 83,823
Other countries 30,780 9,731
Total 1,933,421 648,056

The importations of oranges and lemons into France, from Spain and Italy, have increased in the last few years more than fourfold in quantity, and amount in value to more than 250,000 pounds sterling per annum.

From the Azores immense quantities of oranges are shipped to Great Britain and the United States, in the export of which 243 sailing vessels and 30 steamers are employed. This shows the importance of the trade to those islands. In 1876,283,712 boxes of oranges were shipped from the Azores to Great Britain, and 6,798 boxes to the United States. A box may be said to contain three bushels of oranges.

It is said that in these islands the orange and lemon are cultivated with great care, and the branches and limbs are attended to so scientifically that they usually attain gigantic proportions. Single orange trees there have been known to produce 20,000 oranges at one crop.

The island of St. Michael ships to Great Britain and the United States over $300,000 worth of oranges per annum.

The orange groves in the French colony of Algeria are extensive, and afford a profitable industry to the people. The fruit has acquired in the market a reputation for excellent flavor, and has a ready sale. About 15,000,000 of oranges are exported in an ordinary season.

The exports from Morocco are also extensive, reaching over 1,500,000 per annum.

Sicily exports large quantities of oranges and lemons. The greater page 46 part of the lemons received in the United States come from Sicily, which has heretofore almost entirely monopolized the industry of manufacturing the oil of lemon, of bergamot, and trade in orange flowers.

In New South Wales, orange and lemon culture are receiving much attention. In favorable situations these fruits attain great excellence. It is stated on authority of official reports, that one cultivator has realized as much as $7,500 per annum from three acres of orange trees. The Mandarin orange has been introduced there, and is said to thrive well and produce better fruit at Sidney than it does at Canton. It is described as a very beautiful, dark, orange-colored fruit, with a highly-perfumed rind, scarcely thicker than brown paper, and not adhering to the pulp, which is exceedingly sweet, and of a different flavor from any other orange. The orange groves in this colony are comparatively new, and the trees young; but in some of the older orchards the trees have attained a height of thirty-five feet, the diameter from the extremities of the branches being thirty-three feet. From trees of this size 12,000 oranges are occasionally picked during the year. In the markets of Sidney, Melbourne, etc., these oranges bring 6d. a dozen wholesale, which would give £25, or $125, as the value of the yield of a single tree. The Mandarin variety mentioned above, has here produced 4,100 oranges upon one tree during the season. To keep up the fertility of the soil of the orange groves guano is extensively used. This is spread around the tree on the surface of the land, and is then touched in with the hoe, which treatment of the soil has the effect of making the trees and the fruit beautifully clean.

In South Australia, the orange and lemon thrive well, and many persons are engaged in their cultivation. From official reports we learn that every year about £50,000 worth of oranges are exported from New South Wales and South Australia, to Victoria and other colonies.

One grove in the vicinity of Sydney, it is reported, soli in a year for exportation, 40,000 dozen oranges, leaving 20,000 for home consumption.

Italy carries on a large trade in oranges. The shipments to the United States have reached as many as 600,-000 boxes per annum. Their exports to all countries, from the last official returns, were 94,230,000 kilogrammes of two and a half pounds.

The export of oranges and lemons forms an important branch of commerce in Spain. The United States receives many of these shipments.

The orange-peel is furnished by many of these countries in large quantities to Holland, France and Germany, where it is consumed in making liquors and syrups.

Several hundred tons of candied orange peel are said to be used in England alone.

Greece exports over 10,000,000 oranges every year.

About 8,000 cases of oranges are annually exported from Malaga.

In Central India there is a variety of the orange (Citrus aurantium) extensively cultivated, which produces two crops a year. To prevent exhaustion of the trees, however, only alternate fruiting is allowed. The bitter orange is of this variety. This furnishes from its flowers the Neroli oil, so delicious and costly as a scent. The high prices of the oil of orange, of citron and bergamot in the East, for purposes of perfumery, should attract attention here, and stimulate an industry in this particular.

From Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad, and the Bahamas large importations of oranges are received in the United States, which, with other fruits, is the chief commerce of these islands.

Nassau, in New Providence, sends to the United States on an average about 7,594 barrels of oranges every year, and the islands of Abaco, An- page 47 dros, and Eleuthera, together with New Providence—the Bahamas—a total of 10,000.

West Indian oranges are preferred in the markets, on account of their superior flavor, to those brought from Europe.

The orange trade between Tahiti and San Francisco has been very important and profitable, the production in Tahiti being about 11,200,000 oranges. This trade has declined, however, in consequence of the cultivation and production of this fruit in Southern California.

For nearly 500 miles along the coast of California the orange grows luxuriantly, and its cultivation is receiving deserved attention. Many of the orange trees in the southern parts of this State yield $100 profit per annum. It is stated that there are over 1,400 lemon trees now in bearing in that Stale. Official statistics give 14,387 lemon trees and 50,-000 orange trees. San Francisco now receives more than half its supply from home productions. Its yearly requirements are reported to be over 12,000,000 oranges, of which 5,000,000 are received from Tahiti and Mexico.

The manufacture of the essential oils of orange and lemon is a considerable industry in some of the West India and Pacific islands.

In Martinique large quantities of orange wine are made, which finds a ready market in Russia and Turkey.

The Louisiana orange crop for 1870 is estimated to have been over 32,000,000 oranges, which would represent about 70,000 trees, worth over $210,000.

The annual importation of oranges and lemons into the United States are over 200,000,000, amounting in value to about $600,000.

An idea of the age which orange trees may attain is furnished by the history of the magnificent one in the orangery of the palace of Versailles, in France, known by the name of Grand Connetable or Grand Bourbon, which is now 451 years old. It grew from some slips of a bitter orange planted in a pot at the commencement of the fifteenth century by Eleanor of Castile, wife of Charles III., King of Navarre. The young plants which sprang from seeds were kept in the same tubs at Pampelunar until 1584. In 1799, more than two centuries after, they were removed to Versailles. The Grand Connetable, The Grand Connetable, which may be regarded as the senior of living orange trees, is still perfectly vigorous and does not exhibit any signs of decay.

* Including limes.