manured, and during the summer well watered, and if at all exposed
must have its stem covered up with straw in winter. It is not expected
to yield a crop of flowers before the fourth year after
transplantation. The flowering begins toward the end of April and
lasts through May to the middle of June. The buds are picked when on
the point of opening by women, boys, and girls, who make use of a
tripod ladder to reach them. These villagers carry the fruits (or,
rather, flowers) of their day's labor to a flower agent or
commissionnaire, who weighs them, spreads them out in a cool place
(the flowers, not the villagers), where they remain until 1 or 2 A.M.;
he then puts them into sacks, and delivers them at the factory before
the sun has risen. They are here taken in hand at once; on exceptional
days as many as 160 tons being so treated in the whole province. After
the following season, say end of June, the farmers prune their trees;
these prunings are carted to the factory, where the leaves are
separated and made use of.

During the autumn the ground round about the trees is well weeded, dug
about, and manured. The old practice of planting violets under the
orange trees is being abandoned. Later on in the year those blossoms
which escaped extermination have developed into fruits. These, when
destined for the production of the oil, are picked while green.

The orange trees produce a second crop of flowers in autumn, sometimes
of sufficient importance to allow of their being taken to the
factories, and always of sufficient importance to provide brides with
the necessary bouquets.

Nature having been thus assisted to deliver these, her wonderful
productions, the flowers, the leaves, and the fruits of the orange