“The California orange is liked best because it has no seeds. It is a deep orange colour with a thick skin.
“The Florida orange is a shade lighter and has a thinner skin.
“We also grow in Mexico—here—but the Mexican orange cannot be shipped because it will not keep. It is sweet and delicious, however, and much loved by the natives.
“One wonderful thing about the orange tree is that at the same time, on the same tree, you will find the buds, blossoms, the green and ripe fruit, because they grow slowly. Also the grape fruit is sometimes grafted on our trees. There are oranges that will hang on the trees for two years, so they can be picked at any time, which is most convenient.
“The trees stand about twenty-three feet apart and must not be chilled for it hurts the buds. When a cold snap comes, the owners build fires here and there in the orange groves and keep them all snug and warm. They must watch the weather reports very closely, as in a short time the cold might ruin the orange crop.
“One thousand oranges have been taken from one tree. When the tree is no longer fruitful, its hard, fine-grained, yellowish wood is valued for inlaid work.
“The orange was first found in India, then spread to Western Asia, Spain, Italy, and is now grown in all tropical lands.
“Now, Lemon may tell us about herself, as that is all I know.”
“I also am from Spain, and all those countries we touched,” said the Lemon Doll.