Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-10-01
The Orange Harvest.
N.N ~-

southern 61ycuSC.
When the latter days of September ap.
proach, the bizarre splendors of the rainy
afternoon, which, for four months has
irrigated the grove, grow less FREQUENT,
and with the soft dry days of our autumn
We begin harvest; the early obloug on
Thornton'S bell, the egg, and the round
Sang pur seeding begin 10 ripen, and are
ready for gathering.
\ grove is not in bearing until its trees
average five hundred apples, SO the labor
OF merely picking crop of oranges can
be understood. Nor is the gatherer per
mltted to pluck the fruit. 1t swings its
| tempting yellow among the dark green
! leaves and long, steely thorns high among
! the tops and low among the bending
| boughs. Tall step-lsdders and light
/ weights are IN demand, for care must be
| taken not TO break the fruitful branches
| already Symtomatic of another year.
! The fruit must be "stem-cut" An
| adroit learns to clip the fruit, holding it
/ between the third and fourth fingers and
the shoulder of the thumb, transferring il
lightly to the pouch suspended at his
neck. The musk of the wiud-shaken
crushed, thorn-pierced, and fallen fruit.
! the pungeut, aromatic odorS of the leaves
and oil-glands load the air with fragrance
as the eShilarating taske proceeds
bright dry day must be chosen. as
moisture on the riud tends TO decay, and
there must be caution in handling. as one
bruised orange may infect an entire box
or crate.
brisk hand stem cutting in a full crop
can average his three hundred by the
hour, or three thousand apples per day,
but this Is not frequent. on account of the
rnnt1nnS hlnSlSnrr -,
his sack or basket carefully TO the drying
house, where the fruit is spread out to
dry. This sweating process occupies
three or more days. A good drying house
Is arranged with slated shelves that the
air may penetrate to the intersticcs of
the strips. \ light fire is of advantage.
rs 1T promotes the drying, by which the
rlnd becomes tirmCr, taking a crisp, horny
texture, protecting the pulp from burst
ing.
The next step is selecting, removing all
bruised, thorn picked, or injured fruit in
To seperate lots. This, which should pre-
cede arranging on dying floors or shelves,
To avoid contact, Is followed by scparat-
ing the rusty fruit from the bright yellow
1t TINS is carefully done, selection uado
of rusty fruit III which the bronze con
traSts pretty with the gold ON the orange,
like the bloom ON a peach. As the rust in
no way impares flavor or iuiciuess, awell-
selected box of rust fruit compares with
the "bTights"
Sorting Is putting oranges of the same
diameter i'll separate heaps. The next
step Is wrapping. A thin tissue paper is
used, cut into squares of twelee to four
teen inches, the Florida sweet Seeding
averaging ten inches in circumference;
oblong, egg, mandarin being smaller.
Setting the fruit on the sheet spread on
the open palm, closing the hand unites
the corners for a twist of the right hand,
and it is wrapped. The fruit is packed
in thin elastic boxes, I2x12x27 outside
measuremont-th wrapped orange is
packed stem down and, of the average
three-inches diameter, will hold four rows
of nine to the row, or 1856. The usual con
tinent of the south Florida fruit, however,
is 1913, packed apple above apple, with
paper division to each layer.
The packing box is divided in the mid
die, the ends and partitions being of firm
half fsnch wood and the sides flexible. BY
arranging the fruit differently, as is re
CURED in sizes exceeding or less than
average diameter, space is ecOnomized by
alternating the rows to fit the diverse
and re-entering curves. A size running
l76 can be set by alternate threes and
fours, and be so packed.
The process is delicate. The packing
must be close, fitting with even pressure
without bruising, to bear the jarring of
steyodores and longshoremon, who an
nually exasperate the cropper. In fitting
the box layer of paper is put at the
bottom and one tapped above and below:
so that the fold, after the successive
layers are closely fitted, may lap over and
cover the top. The upper row should
rise not to exceed quarter of an inch
above the box edging, that one mailing
down the elastic top, the spring of wood
fiber in it may have firm, constant pres
sure, TO resist jarring and displacement.