A dictionary of modern gardening - University Library

OR A 404 ORC
ORANGE. Citrus aurantium. See
Citrus.
ORANGERY is a green-house or
conservatory devoted to the cultivation
of the genus Citrus. The best plan for
the construction of such a building is
that erected at Knowsley Park, and
thus described by the gardener, Mr. J.
W. Jones.
Fig. 104.
"Measured inside, this house is fourteen
and a half yards long, eight broad,
and six high. In the centre of the
house are eight borders, in which the
oranges, &c., are planted ; these borders
are all marked a. The two borders
against the back wall are sixteen inches
broad, and three feet deep. The six
borders immediately in the centre of
the house are fourteen inches broad,
and three feet deep; the paths are
" Two stoves immediately connected
with each end of the orangery contain
the collection of tropical plants bearing
fruit. The communication between
these stoves and the orangery is uninterrupted
by any glass or other division,
so that the orange tribe are subjected
to nearly as high a temperature as the
tropical plants. The central borders
of the orangery, as may be seen in the
section, are raised a little above each
other, as they recede from the front
of the house. The oranges, citrons,
&c., are all trained as espaliers; a light
wire trellis being stretched from pillar
to pillar parallel with the borders, and
about eight feet high. The spaces, b,
between the borders being about three
feet wide, permit a person to walk
along between the plants, for the purpose
of pruning, watering, &c. These
spaces are of the same depth as the
borders, and were originally filled with
tan ; but part of this is now removed,
and its place is filled with good soil.
In this some fine climbing plants have
been turned out, amongst which are
several plants of Passijlora quadrangularis,
which bear an abundant crop of
fine fruit. Besides these, there are
also two fine plants of the beautiful
new Gardenia Sherbournia. These,
and other climbers, are trained up the
rafters, &c., in such a manner as not to
materially intercept the light from the
orange. The great advantage of having
the trees trained on the trellis system
is, that every part of the tree is fully
exposed to the light, and by planting
them in rows one behind the other, a
larger surface is obtained for the trees
;
I
marked c, the front wall d, and the to cover than could be got by adopting
any back one e; p, p, p, represent orna-
other plan; and consequently, for
mental cast iron pillars, which, besides! the space, a larger quantity of fruit is
supporting the roof, serve also to sup
port light wire trellises ; there is one of
these pillars in each row for each rafter.
The house is entirely heated by smoke
flues, two furnaces being placed at /.
The dotted lines along the central path
show the direction of the flues beneath,
from the back to the front entrance,
when they diverge, the one entering a
raised flue, g, on the right, the other
also entering a raised flue on the left.
procured. The trees being hung loosely
and irregularly to the wires, assume
as natural an appearance as circumstances
will permit, and the introduction
here and there of large plants in
pots has a tendency to prevent formality.
Two plants are placed in each
border."
—
Gard. Chron.
O R B E A . Twenty-three species.
Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttingsslight-
These flues again cross the house at
ly dried ; sandy loam and lime rubbish.
ORCHARD is an inclosure devoted
to the cultivation of hardy fruit trees,
each end, and the smoke escapes by ;
the back wall; it being found incon- I In it may be, as standards, apple-trees,
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venient to place the furnaces in any most sorts of pears and plums, and all
Other situation. sorts of cherries, which four are the