Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-14
FACTS ABOUT LEMONS.
Sources of the New York supply
The Florida Fruit the Best.

A well known New York fruit dealer
was applied to by reporter OF the Fost
for some information in regard to the
/ lemon trade in til IS city. In reply ne
said: "Most Of the lemons we get IN
this market come from Naples, Sorrento,
| Rodi. aud 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. steam
ers, ON account of their superior speed,
carry most of the foreign fruits. Great
quantities of lemons are sold here by
! auction, the sales of single day often
amounting to 10000 or $4,000 boxes.
The price they bring depends entirely
upon their quality and the quantity In
the market. Sometimes they are "a
drug, and scarcely bring enough to pay
the freight on them. and again Sl4 to
SIG box is not an unusual price. Deal
ers here do not keep regular agents
at the point of shipment, but the iruls
is shipped on speculation. An ordlna-
rily good price is 50 box. The season
for the gathering of Italian lemons is Mt
its height between February and March.
Some lemons will not keeb oyera month
at the outside, while others that are
firm and hard will remain in good con-
dition for four months. The Messina
are the best Italian oranges 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 be
better than those from another Naples
lemons have been known to bring more
than those shipped from Messina.
Dealers know no special variety OF lem
ons, but lump them under the name OF
the place from which they come. Some
people have an idea that lemons are col
ored and ripened by sulphur fumes and
artificial 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
here they are as soft and juicy as If they
had matured upon the tree.
"The best lemons we get in New York
come from Florida. They are natural
ly of a prime quality, aud then the dis
lance they have to be sent is not great. /
The possibilities before the Florida 4
growers are extensive, and, il care is
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 4
to 800 apiece. They begin to come in
November We get very few South
American lemons, because they are too 1
tender to stand the voyage. Small guam
titles are sent from Jamaica, but the
lines shipped from there are growing in
popularity constantly, aud are n much
more important product OF that island
han the lemons. Lines must be pack
ID tightly in barrels to prevent bruising.
suppose there are twenty-five barrels
If lines shipped now where there were
hree ten years ago. In a general way
t may perhaps be said that better lem
ms grow on high ground than on low,
mt, but, as said before, each season,
,lace, and individual tree seems to be
aw unto itself. We can never tell in
dvance where we are to get the best
ruit."