The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-02-23
Effects of Frost on Oranges.
Editor Of The Florida AgrScusurist:

EIIecCS OF ErOSC on oranges.
Editor Of The Florida AgricuIturSst:
We are all puzzled to discover
where the juice goes when oranges
are frozen, and have been waiting
for some of the savants to settle the
difficulty. But even among our
best authorities there seems to be a
difference of opinion, and when Doc.
tors disagree how are plain, unedu-
Gated people to decide? Colonel
Hardee thinks the juice is absorbed
by the tree, but G. w. D., in Florida
Dispatch says:
'The rind of an orange which has
been frozen is like seive, full of
holes, caused by the rupture of the
cells in freezing, through which the
liberated juice finds its way to the
surface and is carried off by evapora-
tion.
There is no absorption of the juice
by the stem and branches; the en-
tire cellular structure OF the fruit
and stem having been broken up,
none of the functions of vegetable
physiology can possibly be per-
formed hence the entire evapora-
tion OF the juice and the breaking
down o; the structure is only a ques-
ton OF time. The thing is dead, and
decay the natural result. To con-
vince you that the rind of an orange,
which has been frozen, is full of small
holes, squeeze it and see the juice
fly"
That is to say, he thinks the rind
becomes full of small holes, through
which the juice leaks away. Now,
accepting this hypothesis, we want
to know why the juice does not leak
out all round the orange, instead OF
setting at defiance all laws Of gravi-
tation and leaking upward through
the stem end
Why small, thin.skined fruit, SO
swollen with fatness as to leave no
reom tor the expansion of freezing,
fUuIl nave renamed apparently in
tact, wale coarse, spongy oranges,
with ample space within for dilation
and contraction, should have
straightway become as dry as puff
balls I? According to G. w. D. the
reverse ought to have happened.
Why mandarin oranges invested in
so loose rind as to permit the in>
side to be shaken about like the rat
tie of rattle-box should have lost
all their juice, when small, plump
specimens remained succulent.?
Why, seeing the juice leaks out
through the skin, no moisture could
ever be detected next the rind of a
loose coated mandarin while the
evaporation was going on?
a frozen orange being water>ti ght
so as to retain its juice unless forci>
bly, squeezed, what is the mysterious
external magnetic influence that alb
stracts the fluids when no pressure is
applied ? Why oranges that were
picked Immediately after the freeze
retained their juice, while those LETT
on the trees for some weeks became
partially dry The chances fol-
SFdpOIdCIOi WSTS tii0 Sdul0 IN DOLL
cases.
How the entire cellular structure
of the stem can be broken up, so al
to stop the functions of vegetabl,
physiology, seeing that it is alive t.
the point of junction with the fruit
And if alive it should by rights
have lost its power of absorption nC
more than severed pumpkin win,
or the extremity Of graft or cut
ting.
And lastly, presuming that or
anges can bear little freezing with
out the loss of vitality, we woul'
like to know at what particular de
gree of temperature they becom
dead and subject to. decay? VIII
i 6. w. d. rise and explain !?
If an orange be dead when j
ceases to make draft upon the tree
we might call it dead as soon as ripe
for then, theoretically speaking, dt
cay begins, although very slowly an
imperceptibly at first. The fruit b'
ing perfected, the tree has fulflle
its mission, and has no other office t
perform forit, save the purely nj,
1 chanical one of holding it up till
y is ready TO drop. For years hay
n been in the habit of leaving orang,
On oartoin traaS till +bo enoooa1,n