ORANGE, the fruit of the sweet-orange tree (Citrus aurantium, Risso, Nat. Ord. Aurantiacæe). This now well-known fruit is by no means an old inhabitant of Europe. Its native country is India, and perhaps China, but its introduction into Europe is possibly due to the Moors, who certainly introduced and planted extensive groves of the bitter orange at Seville and other places in Spain. The sweet orange bears the climate of the south of Europe exceedingly well, and in consequence has been most assiduously cultivated in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Sicily. The result has been the production of a great number of varieties, no less than nineteen of which have been described by Risso, the historian of the cultivated orange. The foliage of the orange is very beautiful, and forms a large round head to a short but well-formed stem, which is for 5 or 6 feet free from branches. The flowers are white and unattractive, but have a most delicious fragrance; so also has the fruit, both in its green and ripe state. The odour of the fruit resides in the outer coating of the rind, which when ripe is of a golden-yellow colour; this is technically called the flavedo. It is usual for the orange tree to have almost constantly flowers, with green and ripe fruit at the same time. For the oils obtained from the orange, see OILS. The cultivation of the orange constitutes a most important branch of industry in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Azores, which countries supply the greater portion of this fruit consumed in Europe. Many of the plantations in Spain are of considerable age; but the oldest are those formed by the Moors in the neighbourhood of Seville of the bitter orange (Citrus Bigaradia, Risso), the fruit of which is sold under the name of "Seville oranges" for the manufacture of marmalade and other confections. The rind is also used in medicine as an agreeable tonic. When intended for export to other countries, the fruit is gathered a little before it is ripe, and each orange is wrapped either in thin paper or the spathes of Indian corn, and afterwards packed in chests or boxes, the former containing about 800, and the latter 300. The chief places of import in this country are London, Liverpool, and Hull; and the quantity imported is immense. In 1857 we received from Portugal 229,116 bushels; the Azores, 274,200 bushels; Malta, 2430 bushels; Spain, 68,436 bushels; Two Sicilies, 112,510 bushels; Gibraltar, 3550 bushels; and from other countries 2600 bushels;—in all, 692,842 bushels, as nearly as can be ascertained; but there is some uncertainty as to the exact quantity, owing to oranges and lemons being given together in the government returns. The duty on oranges is at present (1858) 8d. per bushel. A curious and delicious variety of the orange is grown in Brazil, and occasionally sent in small quantities to this country; its rind does not perfectly inclose the pulp, as in the common orange, but breaks up into several portions at the top of the fruit, which is lemon-shaped, and very large. It is the Laranja embagada, or "navel-orange" of orange cultivators. (T.C.A.)