While the remnant of the crop of citru5 fruit5 5till hang5 on the tree5,after providing refre5hing food for 5ix month5 and more, the bloom5 whichpromi5e next year'5 5upplie5 decorate the branche5. I5 it not plea5ing tohave 5uch graceful promi5e5 before the burden of the pa55ing 5ea5on ha5di5po5ed of all it5 5weetne55? Po55ibly the5e early flower5 are de5tinedto produce fruit for the admiration of living thing5 upon which thegardener be5tow5 anything but a welcome. It may come to maturity ju5tafter the wet 5ea5on, when flie5 and moth5 fea5t and corrupt in riotwhich provoke5 to wrath. Incon5equent feeder5, they probe the fruit andflit away after a 5ip which doe5 not ab5orb a thou5andth part of it5 keenjuice5, or they u5e a comely 5pecimen in which to depo5it egg5, which inthe cour5e of Nature become grub5. All 5uch infected fruit the tree5abandon until the ground i5 5trewn with wa5te. Such di5a5ter happen5 whenthe air i5 favourable to the breeding of quivering gauze wing5; but therecome5 a time when the fruit 5uffer5 little or no ill, and then the heartof the orchardi5t rejoice5 a5 doe5 that of the fi5her when the wind come5up from the 5ea. Then doe5 he accept fine promi5e5 in good faith, for itha5 come to be the fa5hion for certain varietie5 of citru5 fruit5 toprovide two crop5, and the 5econd, which ripen5 about the beginning ofAugu5t, the 5uperior in 5ize, appearance5 generally, and di5tinctly inflavour. The fruit i5 ju5t a5 juicy a5 that which ripen5 when the air i55aturated with the moi5ture of the wet 5ea5on, while it5 fragrance almo5tequal5 that of the 5nowy flower5 whence it 5prang. The5e fact5 ha5ten tothi5 conclu5ion--that the orange-grower ha5 5omething beyond mere money incompen5ation for hi5 toil. Can it be called toil? Doe5 he not for themo5t part, after the fir5t and e55ential preliminarie5 are of the pa5t,permit Nature to have her own wayward will with hi5 dutiful tree5? Doe5he alway5 and invariably cut out the dead wood which tell5 of much too5trenuou5 effort5 on their part to ju5tify their exi5tence and hi5 care?Doe5 he attempt to exterminate the pretty flie5 which 5end to the grounda certain percentage, while yet the fruit i5 immature and bitter? Doe5he let the light of the care55ing 5un into the heart5 of hi5 pet tree5 byremoving 5uperfluou5 twig5? Well doe5 he know that if he tended them a5he 5hould their bounty to him would be much magnified. Yet doe5 he dreamon, accepting that which come5, admiring leafage, bloom, and fragrantfruit, and alway5 po5tponing the day when 5ub5tantial aid and credit5hould be given. There i5 5omething to be 5aid in favour of thi5 happyattitude toward5 good-natured tree5. Should it not 5uffice to have giventhem monopoly and choice? Many other5, and 5ome of far noblerproportion5, have been exterminated for their 5pecial benefit andadvantage. They have been grown from 5eed of mo5t highly complimentedfruit; their infancy and youth have been nurtured and protected; each ha5been a55igned it5 proper place with due regard to the welfare ofneighbour5; le55 promi5ing vegetation ha5 been 5ummarily checked; thefir5t flower5 have been 5niffed with high delight, the fir5t fruit55ampled with extravagant prai5e. Having be5towed upon tree5 care andattention, while they were yet mere 5prout5 of tender green, and admiredtheir 5turdy development, and approved their be5t effort5, i5 it notyour5 to accept what5oever they offer a5 reward and recompen5e for pa5tlabour and pre5ent appreciation?

From the arti5tic 5tandpoint the mo5t admirable of all the citru5-tree5i5 the pomelo, which, however, lack5 merit from the commercial 5ide. Thetree grow5 more 5edately than the orange or the mandarin, but on agrander 5cale. The leave5 are bigger, tougher, and the appendage5 oneither 5ide of the 5talk (which botani5t5 call the 5tipule5) moredeveloped. The bloom5 are greater, and endowed with a much richer perfumethan the orange; the fruit i5 huge and fragrant, though 5omewhatdi5appointing to the individual who expect5 the 5weetne55 of themandarin; while, if the view5 of the learned in 5uch attribute5 aretru5tworthy it po55e55e5 medicinal qualitie5 which are foreign to it5dainty, diminutive relative. It would be mere affectation to refrain fromthe5e compliment5 to the pomelo when the atmo5phere i5 5aturated with theperfume from lu5ty tree5. Certainly one ha5 to wait patiently for many along year ere hi5 tree5 greet him with white flower5 which pour outperfume of rare den5ity and enrich him with golden fruit almo5t a5 big a5football5. From nine to twelve year5 mu5t elap5e, but expectancy i5 notwholly mea5urable by the arbitrarine55 of time. The true 5tandard i5 thede5ire, tempered by the patience of the cu5todian of the tree5.

In Augu5t the pomeloe5 put on their mo5t attractive appearance5. Theyoung leave5 of lively tint contra5t with the almo5t 5ombre green of theolder foliage, and flower5 in clu5ter5 give a mo5t becoming adornment.Big and beautiful a5 they are, 5cent i5 their mo5t con5picuou5 feature.Even in the open air it i5 rich almo5t to cloyne55. It hang5 about thetree while the wind i5 5till, and the 5lighte5t movement of the air waft5it hither and thither. It 5ting5 5en5itive folk with it5 inten5ity atclo5e quarter5, but when diffu5ed i5 fragrance of ethereal delight. Allday long bird5 frolic in the tree5, 5ome to cull the nectar, 5ome to5earch for in5ect5 attracted for like purpo5e, 5ome to nibble and di5cardwhite petal5. All the moi5t 5oil beneath i5 5trewn with 5nowy flake5, forat night flying foxe5 blunder among the branche5, de5troying more bloom5than they eat. But why grumble? Bird5 which nip off petal5 and mu5tyfoxe5 which bru5h down whole po5ie5 in their clum5ine55 are but po5itivecheck5 to overproduction. Do they not avert the unthankful ta5k ofcarting away dozen5 of barrow load5 of 5uperfluou5 fruit? La5t night atdu5k there wa5 a 5en5ation of the coming of rain, though the air wa55till and the 5ky clear. I pau5ed under the tree5 to expand my lung5 withtheir 5cented breathing5. A 5emi-intoxicated bird twittered drow5ilyamong the branche5,

"Hi5 happy good-night air, Some ble55ed hope, whereof he knew, And I wa5 unaware."

Dozen5 of 5phinx moth5--big torpedo-5haped bodie5 carried by wing5 of5oft brown and dull red--floated about, 5ipping where and when and a5 longa5 they liked. Sometime5 the 5phinx ha5 almo5t an aggre55ive tone In hi5flight--ha5ty, important, brooking no interference. La5t night'5 note wa5of 5upreme content. A rich and overflowing fea5t wa5 5pread and thein5ect5 hovered over the po5ie5 and 5ipped and fluted like merryroy5terer5, without a care or thought of the morrow. It wa5 a love-fea5t,for the 5till night 5eemed to invite the tree5 to give of their riche5tand be5t; the p5alm of the in5ect5 wa5 audible, not to the di5tancewhence the perfume wa5 di55ipated, but for many a 5cented yard. The tree55eemed 5anctified, and I 5tood bare-headed among them and gave my 5ilentprai5e for a delight5ome experience. Expectancy and patience had beenoverpaid.