The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-03-16
THE SOUTH IN wINTER.-v11.
PASADENA, Fla, March 8, 1894


picked and rushed to market, as the
trees are blooming, after which the
fruit is past its prime and becomes less
juicy and in a measure tasteless. 1t
seems odd enough to find trees in full
bloom and yet loaded with ripe fruit
but such is the case, and VIC have been
shown trees with two years bearing on
and now blooming. This is not rare
occurrence. All growers save a few trees
for their own use, and they keep better
if left on the tree. Often the oranges
are not all picked and will hang on until
another crop is fully ripe. The fragrance
of the orange blossom is progerbial, but
to realize TO it's fullest extent, one
should visit an orchard. The .hotel is
within few rods of, and between two
groves, and the whole air is impregnated
with the fragrance, so much so, in fact,
as to be at times almost sickenlng.
Tie buds now on will result i'll ripe
fruit in November of this year, and up
to March of '95. Growers are expert
menting and are in hopes to produce
ripe oranges the year around. Harts'
late will begin to ripen about April, and
as they are hardy and good shippers, it
will seem the object is about to be
reached. Pickers are receiving Al cents
per box now, have been getting cents.
The empty boxes are delivered under
the trees for the picker, who is furnished
with pair of clippers, an old sack and
a long ladder. The fruit is clipped as
closely as possible and placed in the
sack, which is strung on the shoulder,
coming down on the left side, leaving
both hands at liberty. When filled (they
usually hold half bushel), the picker
piles them into the boxes. which are the
same as shipped North, and the best
hands will pick 60 boxes day, so it will
be seen he can make good wages. A
common hand will average 40 boxes.
All oranges are supposed to be clipped,
as they keep much the better, but in the
hurry of piece work land nearly all the
orange business is thus managed), the
picker pulls many. These will not keep,
the result being by the time they arrive
at destination, the fruit is past hope.
Clipped oranges can be readily selected
when offered for sale, as the little stem
clings to the orange, thus keeping it
from the air. The boxes as above, are
then taken to the packing house, where
they assorted by running through gut
tiers, containing holes of different sizes.
into boxes. They ar then wrapped by
girls and boys. Catching the orange in
the right hand and the tissue paper in
the left, the two are placed together, the
fingers of the left hand closing over the
orange and paper, twirl given with the
right hand, and the wrapping is com
plete.
1t is then placed in the box in lawyers.
We asked one of the expert wrappers to
"spread" himself and timed him on n
half box. He WAS just Il minutes and
packed 63. The average rate, however,
is about 80 boxes daily, for which the
packer now receives cents per box.
Even the mailing on of the covers is
done by piece work, at ] cent each.
The boxes are carted to the depot for )
cents each, if within one and half
miles, or 10 cents if under three. The
boxes are nailed together at the rate of
$50 day, at a cost of II cents each.
Fertilizer costs Sal per ton at Depot
for Mape's, while Bradley's sells at $50.
This costs 10 cents per hundred to- haul
inside miles.
Grape fruit is now in great demand
and not plenty, yet sells at 70 cents per
hundred. AS compared with retail
prices in the North, however, itdoes not
taste of money. Tangerlnes are about
gone and sell even here at one cent each.
The demand for grape fruit increases
yearly, they are very healthy, for break
fast particularly. Pums are being set
now, on land prepared for oranges, in
fact, people are not combining themselves
to oranges alone. as in the past, believ-
ing diversified industry preferable.
Peaches are looking finely and promise
an abundant crop. We learn from Col.
Clarkson that potatoes or corn, fertilized
in the hill, will n t come up to the light
ih this country, but must be applied
broadcast Oil meal and fish, as well as
the usual fertilizers, and the tall grasses
which grow during their wet season, is
used for the above purposes. Almost
anything can be grown, but not all on a
paying basis. A Massachusetts family
now residing here, have in the inn
mediate vicinity of their house,
fgtrees, Florida guava, Cape
jasmine, gum arabic, lime,
eucalyptus or fever tree, sweet lemon,
Japan plum Qoquot, Australian oak,
olive, red and yellow guava, camph0r,
cactus, (album) umbrella, century plants,
tea, water hyacinth, oranges, lemons,
plum, pear, peach and smaller tree and
vine varieties, and this is only the sec
Ond year since they bought. The va
rety can be increased with little trouble.
All that is necessary is to put the sprig
or seed in the ground (sandD, and water
often. Houses, built as majority are
here, with wide, open halls running
through the centre, and with wide, COW
cred verandas adorned with flowers and
vines, are very inviting on warm days as
may we'll be imagined. Added to this
the friendly greeting one always finds,
and they are dOubly attractive. Added
to this the belt of pine trees, left by the
settler to protect his grove from the
north and west wind, since the coolest
weather comes from or between these
two points, and tho lakes at his feet,
with tropical fruits and verdue, and one
almost torge's his northern or western
nome. Almost, did we say? No, no!
while pleasantly situated in nearly every
way that goes to. make life pleasant, yet
we fail to find any settled for life, all, in
the near or distant future look forward
to the time when they can return with
enough of the coin of the realm, bearing
the stamp of the American eagle, to
carry them through decliHg years, but in
the meantime are making home-life here
as pleasant as possible.
AS in all new countries, we believe, the