This beautiful and fascinating illustrated book tells the story of the orange from earliest times. Brought back from India by Alexander the Great, citrus proved to be a lifesaver on long sea voyages, since it was the antidote for scurvy, which could incapacitate an entire crew. Columbus took it to the new world, and later Portuguese and Spanish kings required all captains to carry along oranges and plant them. Thus arose the vast proliferation of oranges in Florida. At the same time, the Italians and French made the orange a centerpiece of the Medici castles in Florence. This practice was followed by all the European courts, from Versailles to the Great Mosque in Cordoba. It is, of course, a favorite theme in art of the time, many of which are illustrated in this volume. The book also describes other uses of the citrus fruit, for example, cosmetics, perfumes, confections and liqueurs. In addition to its delicious quality as food, the orange is one of the world's favorite decorative plants. The book contains simple instructions to permit the reader to select among the many varieties of orange and grow specimens at home. 187 colour illustrations