The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-02

THE FIvE-FINGERED ORANGE.
spines. Outside. it grows to immense pro-
portion If planted near dwelling, its
great branches fatten themselves against
the side of the house, sending out long.
pale-yellow, alventitious roots on either
side, which attach themselves tightly TO
the wood. until the stems become hardened,
when they loosen, turn gray. and hang like
1ringes of string. Plants bloom from cutt-
ing in few months. The time of blooming
is from July until November.
The buds are at first like rough balls. AS
they increase in size they develop into
gorgeous flower, with scaly and pale-green
stem. They begin TO open in the morning
except on foggy days, when they remain
open until the sun comes out. The flowers
measure nine 10 twelve inches from tip 10
tip of petals. and twelve inches in length.
The sepals are greenish-yellow, he broad
inner petals fine creamy white like satin
lie stamens lie in the centre like skein
of silkon floss; their creamy anthers IT.
rounding magnificent large, light yellow
yelVetS piatil.
In this country the plant gives no seed
unless he fcwers are fortified by hand.
When this 10 done it bears splendid lGrge
fruit, of a beautiful deep rosa color. The
rind is composed of large pointed scales.
tipped with ereen-tha blossom end some
what resembling that OF the pomegranate.
1t is spherical. and measures from seven TO
eleven inches in circumference. When cut
open, puIpy. translucent centre is dis
closed. dotted with shining black seeds,
about the size Of large pinheads. and soft
Ike fig seeds. The pulp is cool. juicy, and
delicaiely sweet. Il is surrounded by a
broad band of brilliant carmine about three
eighths of an incE wide, which makes a
striking contrast. and renders it a most
picturesque fruit fer the table. Cut
halves, sprinkled with sugar and eaten
with spoon from its deep carmine cup, il
is dainty enough for the most fastid Gus.
BY some the taste for this fruit might have
TO be cultivated as is the with olives
and figs. but il looks good enough to eat
and almost too pretty.
Thes gigantic plant shown in the photo
engra wing is said to be he largest known
specimen of It's Kind in North America. II
was for the first few Years Of it's existence
vary humble. and wandered about on the
ground at the base Of the Ssranda. About
eight years ago it was severely trimmed
This experience seemed o arouse in il d
new and ambitious spirit. Though its
growth since has not been so magical az
that Of Jacks famous beanstalk, yet it has
grown SO rapidly and SO enormously at TO
be called q national curiosity. 1t has had
its own way and never been trained 1t
measures between fifty and sixty feet in
height. with Eumberless branches. Some of
the adyeniilious roots are nine feet in
length. and in places form perfect net
work, like lace. The large flowers that
bloom on the roof have sometimes been mis-
eakan for white birds perched there.
This beautiful cactus will doubtless, when
better known, De cultivated for its fruit as
we'll DIS Its flowers. 1t is particularly decora-
tive for large places. Very likely, also. a
use may be found Tor the gluten it contains.
another Interesting plant is the iive-fn-
gered orange. It grows exactly in the
shape of human hand, with thumb and
four fingers. 1t is half-open hand, that
Of this curious fruit, and the close resen-
blance TO lean, long-nailed Chinese hand,
is startling. Even the nails are Identical,