Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-30
SOMETHING ABOUT ORANGES.
GLIMPSE at Washington's Florida and
Foreign Orange Trade.

FoREIGS ORANGES HANDLED-THEA ANTIQUITY OF
The ORANGE-REcIPEs FOR THE LENTES SEASON
The advent Of the Lenten season. coming as IL
does when the variety of table supplies are
distressingly limited from natural causes brings
with IT additional vexations to the housekeeper
whose creed demands Observance A round of
social winter festivities following the HOLIDAYS
suddenly transformed into a season of restric-
ton must Os necessity try the wits of the ac-
knowledged head of the table in her efforts to
spread daily before the guests dishes which are
permissible. Palatable and yet not liable to
grow monotonous.
Fish. vegetables and fruits compose the syn
dictate which caters most largely to the hosts of
Lenten observers. OF fish, the shad. appearing
Just In the nick of time, as it WERE to offer its
services early in the Lenten period. is perhaps
the most popular if not the most palatable.
for vegetables. potatoes. cabbage and lettuce,
Ike the poor, we have always with US, sup
Plemented by canned reserve of extensive
proportions, which may or may not have a nat
uraI flavor. In the way of fruits the most deli
clous, though not so popular or cheap as the
apple. Is the Orange-the juicy. luscious orange.
The apple Is doubtless the most used also the
most greatly abused of all fruits. being drawn
ACTIVELY into the connection of the menu for
any or every meal from greasy, soppy fried
slices for breakfast to the tasteful. foamy float
a truly fitting finale for a sumptuous dinner
But.withal. under the golden rind of the orange
he tasteful possibilities beyond compare.
DELICIOUS CONNECTION.
Noless prosaic parsonage than Thomas Car
lyle. in one of his genial gimpses of 'domes-
hcities." tells story of how his wife was
caught by an unannOunced guest bringing her
Kettle of orange marmaade to a perfect finish
over the drawing-room fire. and describes the
result OF her work as delicious CONNECTION.
pure as liquid amber" Orange marmalade is
. pet dainty upon the table of a Scotch bon
Niyant. Sweet. crumbly biscuits a cup of
finely-drawn tea. and tiny. delicate china
saucer of Dundee marmaade. a preserve that
has travelled the world over upon its merits and
established itself in every nook and corner of
every civilized country. is a refreshment which
epitomlZes the truest hospitality OF bonny
Scotland.
wAsHISGToN's ORANGE TRADE.
Those who stroll along the avenues of Wash
ington. residents or visitors. and note the beau
tful pyramids of the golden fruit upon cOnfec-
TONERS stands. or take advantage of an over
stocked market and buy dozen at a seemingly
low price from the wandering Italian who per-
ambUlates the streets CRYING his wares with
one eye to business and the other on the pO-
lice. have Ittle or no conception of the i'm
mensity of the local orange trade or the vari-
ETY. of tempting. tOOthsome dishes to which
this product from what Milton calls the
"GOdhest tree ladened with the fairest fruit"
daily lends helping hand
The most delicious and desirable orange is that
from Florida of course. and the number con-
suIned largely increases every year. Formerly
and only few years ago il bore a VERY small pro-
portion OF the total receipts of the fruit here,
but now 1t very nearly divides evenly The
estimated receipts of Florida oranges here this
season. running to the LIST of Nav. are put at
twenty-five TO thirty Thousand boxes Receipts
OF foreign oranges will be something more than
this. Allowing the boxes to average as it is
Claimed they do. one hundred and seventy-five
f1rn1f alT h. L
this city this season will amount to not less
than ten millions.
THE FLORIDA ORANGE.
The orange trees of Florida bloom in Febru-
airy and March, the blooms appearing before
the fruit of the previous season has been en-
tirely gathered In fact, where it is not a
matter OF purely commercial interest the fruit
Is sometimes left upon the tree until a follow
ing season, which. it is said. adds to it greater
perfection and juicy lusciousness. Gathering
begins IN November and lasts until about the
LIST OF May. There generally from one hum
dred and twenty-five to three hundred oranges
IN box-the average being about one hum
dred and seventy-ive. The very large oranges
are very thick skinned and command the low
est prices, and here is where the strolling ven
DER shows his fine italian hand. The large
beautiful specimens are temptingly displayed
and worked of at high rates upon unsuspecting
victims as the rarest and richest the market
affords. A mistake is often made, too in ipnor-
ing an orange because of dark rustv-looking
coating upon the peel. Underneath this unin-
wiling cover is often hid the plumpest. juiciest
pulp. and IL is almost a sure indication of
genuine Florida orange-and not all the fruit
SOLD as Florida oranges are such by any means
There are three methods in Florida of es-
tablishlng orange groves. The first is to clear
mp wild grove of the bitter orange with which
the country abounds. removing all the trees
not needed and budding with sweet fruit those
that remain; second. to transplant young wild
trees to prepared ground and then bud
them; and third. to raise stocks from seed bud
them IN nursery rows and transplant them
when sufhclently grown. Some contend that
II Is not necessary to bud the stocks from seeds
OF the sweet orange the fruit of that class re-
produces itself from its seed
wAsHINcTOSs TRADE IN FOREIGN ORANGES
OF the foreign oranges which come to
Washington and this country. the Messina is
the best. Following this the Catonia Pa
Ier!no. Sorrento Malaga. and Valencia the last
named being rather small. All of these come
from southern Europe and pass through Glib
ralter, from which point reports of vessels and
the composition of each cargo destined to the
nlted States are cabled to the American
foreign fruit exchange in New York and
through them to the dealers here and else
where; hence the supply and future arrivals
are known and the trade conducted accordingly
shipments 10 the United States the present
season. II Is Estimated. will amount TO about
2OO0.OOO boxes. After the Mediterranean dis
trlcts the next in Importance is Cuba. the fruit
from Ihere being called Havana" 1t Is, per
hAps, the sweetest Of all varieties. and when
fully ripe Is too sweet to please the palates of
many. few oranges come from Porto Rico
but too small number to appear as an article
OF commerce. Jamaica is more prolific, and
were 1t not for our own florida production it
would probably have a monopoly in our mar
kets as the only reliable sweet orange for Win
Ter and spring use.
TIE VARIOUS KINDS OF ORANGES
Looking into the show windows along the
streets, or making choice from the stands or
carts, the larger portion of BUYERS simply
select the best looking specimens for the least
price and often get the worst of the bargain
he common sweet orange. of which the Florida
takes the lead. Is IN greatest demand. Then
there Is the bitter orange. princip ally the
Seville. which is used largely for cooking The
tangerine Is dainty tidbit. sometimes called
Tie Kid glove orange from the fact that il can
De handled without soiling Kid glove but
IL Is unsatisfactory. being dry and insipid, not
~ithstandlng II Is finely favored. One of the
most highly esteemed varieties is the mandarin.
. native OF China. though il has been intro
ouced INTO the West Indies and other southern
countries The rInd of this. when the fruit il
iuHy ripe, separates spontaneously from the
pup which Is exceedingly rich and agreeable
70 the TASTE The tangerine is regarded as a
tuo-Variety OF this class. The St Michaers
orange Is seedless and those grown in this
country flourish mostly in southern California