The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-01-07
For the REPUBLICAN.
Florida Letter.


Florida Letter.
To all your readers. as to yourself.
my good friend Hayden, wish a
very happy New Year. The "Merry
Christmas" you no doubt have all
enjoyed and 1 am glad to say ours
was of that quality also. We have
heard of your exceptionally fine
Autumn, and can say for ourselves,
that we are enjoying a real old
fashioned Florida winter. Only a
few of the most tender plants and
vegetables have thus far been even
"nipped" by Jack Frost; tomatoes
and sweet-potatoes are growing as in
summer time, and many of our sweet
their beauty and fragrance to our
holiday decorations. 1t is held to be
a rule in Florida meteorology, that
an unusually dry summer is followed
by correspondingly mild winter.
On the credit of this tradition, we are
going on to start our early crops. Ere
this reaches you, shall have made
my first setting of tomatoes, planted
some corn, Irish potatoes, &c. An
odd occupation, it will seem to you,
for holiday week. 1t may prove labor
thrown away but here, as elsewhere,
one must risk little to win the more.
Our orange harvest Is well got through
with, and has proved itself q great
help to Florida. Your tardy corre-
spondent "took hand" in this line
of work for the first time. In twenty
days l packed 1900 boxes CT golden
globes. making, as the average was
about 200 to the box, 100000 oranges.
OF this number, one of my daughters
wrapped full 10000 in the same
time. This for "greenies," is counted
quite extraordinary. We find it de-
lightful work, and long for the time
when we shall have crop of our own
to harvest.
Prices on our citrous fruits have
thus far, been very satisfactory and
In our section the crop is large, though
over the State it will average light.
The neighbor whom 1 assisted will
sell 1900 boxes, which will net him
about twice that many hundred dol
lars. Others in the community will
do as we'll and gentleman some 20
miles up the river from US South
will take 1000 boxes from 500 trees,
and realize some $1,000. These trees
are ten years old, and consequently
not at their best. ,
Would it not be of some interest to
many Of your readers. to have given
them a brief description of the pro-
cess of orange harvesting, packing
and shipping?
The grove is in appearance, much
like an apple.orchard, only denser'
as rule, and more attractive In size.
the trees-that is, apple and orange
are about equal, of the same age, only
the apple usually has more spread,
and perhaps little less height. Soon
as the fruit is we'll colored say half
yellOw-and sweet enough to be eaten
with about a dozen "sOur rinkIes" on
the face, picking begins. This is done
largely by colored hands. and is by
no means play.
The picker's outfit consists of: A
short ladder. from 10 to 80 feet long (;
a common sack, or regular tin pick
ing can, slung oyer left shoulder a
pair of neat clippers in the form of
ordinary pruning shears. Supple
mentary to this, pair of stout leath-
ern gloves are not out of place for
the average orange tree has a few
"stickers." Thus provided. the man
should clip from the tree 20 to Is
boxes per day. The boxes are dis
tributed through the grove for recep-
ton of the fruit. and when filed,
carted to the ENTHUSIASTICALLY
situated on river dock. or at r. r.
station. Two days should be allowed
the fruit. for sweating and whiting.
before packing begins.
In tine packing-house the usual
method is about as follows:
First of all the fruit is sorted: this
means as to color; and there are
various grades, as fancy BRIGHT"
"bright," golden russell" and "rus-
set"-some packers using addition .
designations. The second operation
Is sizing. This was formerly all done
"by the eye" merely, and a trained
hand would do very good work.
Many still use the "eye." But there
are in use several styles of sizers. by
means of which the diameter of the
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