Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-12
A Thorough Investigation
Into Their Composition.
The Analyses by the University
of California.
An Article of Great Value to All
Citrus Fruit Growers.
Proportion of Rind to Flesh-Proportion
of Juice to Flesh-Sugar Contents
of Juice Acid in the Juice.
Nutritive values-Ash Com
position and Nitrogen
Contents-Other
Points.

The University of California has just
issued bulletin from its agricultural
experiment station, at Berkeley, on
Investigation of California oranges and
lemons. The main part of the bro
chure will be found herewith:
The purpose of this work is to show
comprehensively the proximate and ash
composition of the leading varieties as
grown in some of the principal citrus
regions; and inferentially the influence
exercised upon them by the prominent
conditions of soil, climate, fertilizers,
etc. The physical data (per cent. of
rind, pulp, juice, etc. are OF special
interest from a commercial standpoint,
as showing what is being purchased !;
for there can be no hesitation between
an orange or lemon OF average rind,
pulp and juice and one OF over one-third
its weight of undesirable rind and one
quarter dry pulp.
The consumer, though usually consid-
ering fruit as pure luxury would derive
much valuable knowledge from study
ing the orange in its relative value as a
food. The nourishing portions, shown
especially by the nitrogenous and sac
charine contents, vary greatly with the
variety and conditions OF growth. 1t is
not, then, a matter of Indifference to the
consumer what fruit he uses, but an
important question of domestic econ
Omy.
The ash ingredients, together with the
nitrogen contents of the standard vari-
eties, are of high interest in connection
with the vital question OF soil exhaustion
and fertilization. The soil ingredients
extracted by an ordinary crop are
serious drain upon the supporting soil,
and the lines of heaviest draft can only
be determined by actual determination
Of the constituents withdrawn.
Here are given detailed descriptions of
the fruit used in the experiments, when
it was grown, ETC.. the specimens of
oranges numbered 23, and four kinds of
oranges. A large table is given, show
ing the result of the analysis. The
article then continues as follows
In order to bring out more clearly than
is shown by the table the prominent
points of similarity or difference, we
discuss briefly the data presented. --
ORANGES.
Proportion of Rind to Flesh-Consid-
ering the matter first from the stand
point of the consumer, it seems that al
though the Navel is the largest of
oranges, it has, contrary to the popular
impression, no advantage with respect
to the proportion of skin to flesh over
either the Mediterranean sweet or St.
Michaels. The average Navel can fairly
be cOnsidered as containing nea r1v 70 nor
cent of flesh, while the average Medi-
terranean sweet shows 73 per cent, the
st. Michaels 81 per cent.
Juiciness or Proportion of Juice to
Flesh-A comparison of the figures in
the table shows that OF the named vari-
cites examined the navel is the driest,
while the St. Michaeis has the largest
proportion of juice; the Mediterranean
sweet being next and the Malta blood
third.
These facts will be better understood
by reference to the little table below,
which gives the percentage ratios: