The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-02-09
very easy to handle.

While oranges were selling at $3.50 tn
81, Tangerines brought S4, but a box
contains 400, while oranges vary from
$50 to 300. We see little difference when
taken from box in the North, and
pulled from tree. One needs to be edu-
Gated to eat them, however, and a native
will give us points. Owners of groves
gladly conduct us through, describe the
fruit, and insist on loading one down
with all they can carry. 1t is needless to
add your scribe fully demonstrated his
carrying propensity, promising in return
a liberal supply of Vermont snow (f
they would go to VermOnt). When they
gather for one you are asked if YOU use
at once, or to send home. If to keep.
they twist from the tree as they keep
better. The actual cost to growers. not
counting the oranges, is 80 cents per box.
This includes boxes, paper, packing,
etc. If you pick and furnish boxes, they
ask 80 cents, or they will pick. wrap, box
and deliver at the depot for 81; although
this year fruit is very plenty, money
hard to get, and many are glad to get 80
to 70 cents box, and some shippers have
been obliged to send money to New
York to pay freight, the fruit arriving in
bad condition, and not realizing enough
to pay freight. Many refuse to ship,
and prefer letting it rot on trees.
The size mostly called for this year
600 to the box), is attributed to the
hard times. Usually $50 to 175 would
sell better. 1t would seem as if the or
ange business was being overdone
Asking the better way to make money in
oranges, was told, ''get your ground in
good shape, stint trees back so they pre-
sent thrifty appearance, then sell to
some of your Northern Yankees" This
is the whole sum. Take this section for
instance, and being in the centre of the
orange belt, it should represent the in
dustry, and the men with largest orch
ards are heaviest in debt, and nearly
every grove is mortgaged. With the
legal rate of interest, per cent, but 10 is
taken, and - the only rate at which you
can get accommodated, and one can
readily see what mortgage means.
Every man you meet has a grove to
sell, and wishes to go North. A land
company in the county below us, head
their circular, "Burn your bridges be-
hind you" Enough said. All northern
growers desire the Mckinley bill and its
provisions retained, but native, true to
his leader, will shout Wilson" as he
sinks beneath the load of oranges heaped
upon him, which pay no duty. Florida,
without even Republican ticket in the
field, seems to us a good place to emf
crate from. This fall an effort will be
made to nominate one, but no one ex-
poets the votes to be counted. Eight
boxes are provided for voting purposes,
and ticket accidentally dropped into
the wrong one is lost. This alone ac-
counts for great many votes, and the
counters know how to put it to good
use.
Grape fruit is seen in nearly every
grove. 1t is not unlike lemon in color,
but averages six inches in diameter.
The inside resembles an orange, but has
an acid or pleasant sour taste, but one
soon acquires a love for them. They are
considered very healthy. Trees are
about the size of the orange, but the
fruit grows nearer the centre. Lemons
are here in profusion. The rough
skinned ones are thrown away, and we
saw 80 boxes in one grove discarded for
this reason. These are free to any one,
md Just as good, but do not sell we'll in
northern markets. A cur osity is the
wild, or native lemon. The trees are
oaded. They look not unlike the better
lass, but are larger, rougher, not as yell
ow, and come apart in sections like an
orange. They grow in the hedges, along
he road, in the woods, just as it hap
1ens.
We lind, as a rule, growers attempt too
much; that is, where ten acres are set out
md attended, five would be better,-the
ame amount of work being put on them
IS on the ten. Work is Sl.25 per day,
,ut man in the North will certainly do
vice the work done here.
Next month warm weather is looked |
or, and later on more rain. Lakes are |
ii low at this writing, and the country is
,arched. Within five minntes after a |
leavy rain one can go out with slippers.
1ew fences being used, one goes in any |
Erection, and better than in a beaten