Trees raised in the way now desciihed, require no less than fifteen or sixteen years to attain the size of -hose im ported in boxes from the Aleditcrranean. The latter, if they be good plants, if they have not suffered greatly from the voyage, and if they be properly managed on their arrival, will bear fruit in three or four years. But it is chic-fly the shaddock and citron that are thus imported. Those stocks which have two buds inserted in them, it is observed, make finer heads than such as have one only. To recover the trees after their being so long out of the earth, requires some care and attention : they are planted in fine vegetable mould, in pots having channel to the depth of some inches in the bottom, so as to drain away superfluous moisture, and are placed in a hot-bed; at the same time, hay bands are wrapped round the stems, to prevent the sun's rays from over-drying the bark.
227. Young orange trees are every season repotted, generally in April, for successive years, till they produce fruit. The earth or compost must be prepared at least a year before, so that any dung mixed with it may be very completely rotten. When the trees become large, that is, six or eight feet in height, they are generally planted in wooden cases or tubs. When old orange trees have been mismanaged, it is found very useful to plunge them into a hot-bed : this is accomplished by planting them in baskets, and sinking these into the bed. The baskets are made of less size than the tubs, and when the trees are restored to these, the baskets are cut away, and the empty space fill ed with prepared earth. It is a rule to remove, every sea son, a considerable portion of the earth, taking great care not to injure the roots ; its place is supplied with a fresh quantity of the prepared soil.
228. In the orangery, during winter, the trees receive regular but moderate watering, and as much free air as the nature of the season will permit. In May, they are removed to the open air: the place should be sheltered from high winds, and it is found best that the plants should be exposed only to the morning and aPernoon sun, and shaded from the mid-day glare and heat. Here they remain till about the middle or near the end of October. They produce their pure white and very fragrant flowers in June; and after the first season of flowering, blossoms and fruit are seen together on the same plant, the latter remaining a year or fifteen months on the tree before it be ripe. The clusters of blossom and fruit are thinned progressively, as there seems to be occasion.
In different places of England, Seville orange trees have of late been planted in the open border, in emulation of Sir Francis Carew's trees, and covered during winter with moveable glass frames. It is found generally indis
pensable, however, that the walls should be Hued, and that some slight fire heat be in this way afforded during severe frosts. The bottom or the border on which orange trees are planted must absolutely be dry ; it is necessary, there fore, to lay at least two feet of lime rubbish, or some simi lar material, beneath the border soil.
229. The Shaddock (Citrus dccumana, L.) is the pam pelmous of the French, Delaunay however describing the chadec as a large variety of C. aurantium : the denomina tion Shaddock was given from the name or the English officer who first conveyed the plant from the East to the West Indies. It is managed like the orange tree, but is somewhat more tender, and must be treated accordingly. In a well-arranged orangery, however, and under the care of a judicious gardener, it produces large and ripe fruit. Even in Scotland this is the case ; as at Woodhull, near Hamilton, the seat of Mr Campbell of Shawfield.
230. The Citron (Citrus nzedica, L.) is also cultivated like the orange ; hut being rather more tender, must be less early exposed in the spring, acid sooner put under glass in t' -,e autumn. The summer situation should be the warmest and most sheltered in the garden, There arc several sub-varieties of the citron, particularly one with very large fruit, the poncire of the French.
231. The Lemon is generally budded or inarched on a citron stock. Its culture is the same as that of the orange ; but it is more hardy than that species, and requires more free air during winter. It should also be watered some what more liberally. In some parts of England, lemon trees succeed very well in the open border against south walls : they are sheltered during winter by moveable glass frames, and produce plenty of large fruit, making a plea sant variety on the wall.
232. The Lime is propagated and treated much in the same way as the lemon.
233. Having thus given a general account of forcing houses, or hot-houses for producing fruit, taken separately, we shall now describe a range or suite, and at the same time shall illustrate what we say by reference to the plans, elevations, and sections, contained in Plates CCCX. and CCCXI. The magnificent suite of glazed houses repre sented in the former Plate, it will be observed, is by no means ideal, but exists in the garden of Dalmeny Park, the scat of the Earl of Rosebe•y near Edinburgh ; and the accuracy of the plans may be relied on, Mr Hay, the de signer employed at Dalmeny, having, with permission of the noble proprietor, favoured us with them. We shall at the same time give a short description of the garden, and particularly of the walls, as illustrative of some im provements in this branch of horticulture introduced by Mr Hay.