Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-12-07
ORANGE HARVEST.
HOW SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,s
CROP is GATHERED
sun-Ripencd Fruit Pluckoi Within
View OF Wind-whirlod Shows
of tho Slcrras Tho
Picking Gangs.

bore altogether about 1000 boxes OF
Seeding oranges each year. This
fruit was eagerly bought Mt large
prices by tho San Francisco people,
and never was sent East on account of
tho tremendously heavy freight rates
At that time. When tho Southern
Pacific Railway was built through
Southern California from San Fran
cisco to Now Orleans and freight rates
were cheapencd, orange growing had II
Sroat impetus, but when the ANchison,
Topeka and Sautn Flo Railrond system
was extended into this region, and
shipping rates were cut in two, tho
growing ot oranges had wonderful
boom.
Tho Pomona Progress, tho horticul-
turnl journal of this region, estimates
That thoro is now invested i'll orange
growing i'll Southern California over
S33, 900, 900. There nre i'll bearing
about l0,00O acres of orange groves,
ana nbuut So, moro acres nro
planted. Tho present crop is csti-
mated by the railroad companies and
horticultural officials mt 6S00 car loads.
IN average car load consists of 800
ooXes, and its valuation is $500. Thus
tho present crop is worth So. 40, 900.
Wholesale orange buyers, who oomo
,nnunliy to Southern California MS
soon rs the orange season is over in
Florida, shy That tho California and
tlofida. orange crops have never vet
lnterfercd with each other. Tho Cali
fornin fruit is. rarely ready for ship
ment before February. BY that time
Florida oranges nro practically con
;umed md the market clear.
The orange trees arc not stripped of
their fruit ut ono time, us are the
Eastern apple, peach, or pear trees,
but aro picked Mt different limos in
tho course of the month, tho picker
knowing whether tho fruit is ready for
packing by its color nnd form. He
picks I'LL the fruit that is ripe on tho
trees Mt ono time, and repeats tho pro-
cess again u week or two Inter. The
tlrst picking is made about tho middle
Of February i'll tho Pomonn Valley.
and, from the LIST of March, for three
months tho gathering continues una
Dated.
A few weeks previous to the picking
time tho wholesale shippers go the
rounds of the groves. Some of Thorn
have arrangements from year to year
with the owners, while most of the
producers prefer 10 make new con-
tracts each season. The agent inspects
the grove and offers SO much box,
or so much for the fruit on the trees.
and hero tho responsibility of the
owner ceases. The shipper puts his
picllcrs and packers at work, the
grower receives his check, aud another
year is begun.
The picking of the orange in largo
orange centers, such ms San Gabriel
Valley, Pomona, Riverside and Red
lands, is announced by nh addition TO
the floating population. Gangs of
pickers, Mexicans, Chinese, Ameri-
ems, mon and boys, gather from far
and near, and tho groves are filled
with laughter and song. Everybody
is Mt work, and if tho crop is fairly
large, every ono feels cheerful. The
orange grove of the imagination is
stretch of trees filled with golden
fruit, where one can lie in the soft
grass and luxuriato in tho sight. The
actual grove, whilo beautiful to the
eye, is not n place for longing, as
the ground is, or should be, kept con
tinually plowcd and irrigated. But
the trees are attractive. Ever green,
they often show ripe and green fruit
and white blossoms ut the same time.
a gang of men under leader, or
overseer, takes possession of grove
bright and early in tho morning, two
or three men being appointed to
tree, and the picking begins: Tall
step ladders enable tho piclers to
reach the top branches, and each
orange is carefully cut from the tres;
if it is pulled and the skin broken, it
will soon decny. The picker wears
bag about his neck, and into this the
fruit is dropped. When tho bag is
filled the fruit is handed to the washer
or scrubbcr Tho latter, generally
Chinaman, washes the black stain or
rust from tho fruit, polishing it with
cloth, after which it is passed to the
assorter. Sometimes simple machine
Is used, runaway, SO that the oranges
of the same sizo will all collect to-
gcther. This accomplished, each
orange is wrapped in vnriously colored
paper and placed in the box ready for
shipment. A counter keeps tally of
tho toxes.
In some groves various machines
are used. Thus one patent is a knife
on long pole which is connected
with canvas tube. The orange
separated from others in this way
drops into the tube or "chute," and,
by the arrangement of traps, drops
from one to another; and finally rolls
into a box uniniured. The ordinary
method of picking is by hand.
The orange pickers are usually
Jolly lot, there being something about
the business apparently that enliyens
the spirits. The Mexicans and Ameri-
cans labor in harmony, but an orange.
picking team composed of Cinnamon
and Americans appears to work the
reverse. The Chinese picker finds
that his ladder gives way without