Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-02-06
Oranges Both Food and Medicine.

oranges BOln fOou ahu ucuicihp.
To thoughtful observer the timls
has long since passed when oranges
were luxury to be INDUCED in noH
and then and not an essential article
of diet. That this luscious fruit il
not more generally considered as on
of the necessary household supplies Al
we think, in great measure owing teX
mistaken idea as to its cost and keepa
ing qualities. Families who. are &c!
customed to buying their apples and
potatoes by the barrel, their peaches.
pears and tomatoes by the bushel, end
other household supplies in propor-
tionate quantities, are satisfied to'pro-
cure oranges by the dozen.
No policy could be more fallacious,
and the plan is doubtless SO generally
adopted without e second thought,
since no household supply is sold 50
proportionately high ina retail tssyy.
With potatoes or apples at dollar per
bushel the customer may usually pro-
cure peck for twenty-five cents, but
not so with the golden products Of the
Florida orange. groves. Oranges are
generally sold ut retail a. on advance
of from one TO two hundred per cent.
on the prieo at which they are obtain.
able by the box. The regulation box
contaipa 112, 12e, $50, 176, 200, $50
and 400 oranges, the quality being, of
course, according to the size of the
fruit. The cost in this market will
generally run from 81. so to $3.50 per
box. Take the average of 81 and the
cost by the box for 200 size would be
twelve cents per dozen; the usual re-
tail price is from twenty-five to thirty
cents; at the same price the 176 size
would cost by the box 134 cents per
dozen, and IRE retailed OF thirty to
forty cents, while for the $50 size,
costing by the box sixteen cents per,
dozen, the consumer is generally re-
quired to pay fifty cents. Oranges
retailed at lower prices are generally
frost- bitten or culls and inferior fruit.
Is there any other item of house
hold supplies for which the consumer
is willing to pay so large an advance
when bought at retail? The solution OF
the problem is not hard to find.
Oranges decay in the hands OF dealers
when tightly boxed, and consumers
are told they will not keep. Under
similar conditions other fruits would
decay still more rapidly. 1t should be
remembered that the orange is accus-
toned to on abundant supply of air
and sunshine, and as soon as received
oranges should be unpacked, the
wrappers removed and the fruit spread
on the floor in dry place with mod
crate temperature, or otherwise ex-
posed to the air. With such proper
care the loss from decay will be but
triaing as compared with the differ.
ence in cost between buying by the
box and by the dozen, to say nothing
of the vital Importance of liberal
use of this fruit as an article OF diet.
Physicians aro unanimous in the
opinion that dozen oranges should
be eaten where one is now used, but
the question of expense alone has
hitherto prevented this advice from
being generally acted upon. If con=
sumers generally would buy oranges
by the box, this question would be
solved, though We doubt if either ply.
sicians or druggists would be bene-
fted by the solution.-New York
Shipping and Commercial List.