Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-17
SOME FACTS ABOUT LEMONS.
Sources of the New York Supply-The
Florida Fruit Said to be the Best.

From the New York Evening Post
A well known fruit dealer in vesey street was
applied to by reporter of the Ereyainq Post.
the other day, for some information in regard
TO the lemon trade in this city. In reply. he
said: Most of the lemons we get in this mar
Ret come from Naples Sorrento. Rod and
Messina. From each of these ports they are
shipped by way Of Liverpool Some are sent
In sailing vessels, but not many. as such are
not apt to arrive in good condition. Steamers.
on account of their superior speed, carry most
OF the foreign fruits. Great quantities Of lem
ons ere sold here by auction. the sales Of sim
gle day often amounting TO 10000 or so 900
boxes. The price they bring depends entirely
upon their quality and the quantity in the mar
ket. Sometimes they are "a drug and scarce
ly bring enough to pay the freight on them.
and again Sl4 TO Sl6 box is not an unusual
price. Dealers here do not keep regular agents
at the points of shipment. but the fruit is
shipped on speculation. An ordinarily good
price Is SO a box. The season for the gathering
OF Italian lemons is at its height between Feb
ruary and March. Some lemons will not keep
over month at the outside, while others that
are firm and hard will remain i'm good condi-
ton for four months. The Messina are the
best Italian lemons and will keep the longest
The Palermos rank next, while the poorest as
general thing come from Naples There is
however, no rule by which one can be sure that
lemons from one place will uniformly be better
than those from another. Naples lemons have
been known TO bring more than those shipped
from Messlna. Dealers know no special yarie-
ties OF lemons, but simply lump them under
the names of the places from which they come
Some people have an idea that lemons are coll
ored and ripened by sulphur fumes and arti-
hcial heat. Such notions are entirely wrong
Lemons, when they are sent from home are
as green and hard as an infant apple. but ripen
during the voyage, so that when they arrive
they are as soft and juicy as il they had matured
upon the tree.
The best lemons we get in New York come
from Florida. They are naturally Of a prime
quality. and then the distance they have to be
sent is not great. The possibilities before the
Florida growers are extensive, and. IL care il
taken by them in sorting and picking they
may in time run the Italian product out Of the
market The Florida lemons are packed in
boxes holding about $50 or 800 apiece. They
begin to come in November We get very
few South American lemons, because they are
too tender to stand the voyage. Small
quantities sent from Jamaica. but the
lines shipped from there are growing in popu-
larlty constantly, and are a much more i'm port
ant product of that island than the lemons
Lines must be packed tightly in barrels TO pre-
vent bruising. / suppose there are twenty-five
barrels OF lines shipped now where there were
three ten years ago. In a general way il may
perhaps be said that better lemons grow ON
high ground than on low, but. as said before
each season. place, and individual tree seems
TO be law unto itself. We can never tell in
advance where We are to get the best fruit"