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

Oranges B0lh FO0d anu hlcuicint.
To a thoughtful observer the tim P
has long since passed when oranges
were luxury to be INDUCED in noS
and then and not an essential article
of diet. That this luscious fruit is
not more generally considered as ogf
of the necessary household suppliesf3 3
we think, in great measure owing ton
mistaken idea rs to its cost and keep
ing qualities. Families who. are ac-
customed to buying their apples and
potatoes by thu barrel. their peaches.
pears and tomatoes by the bushel, and
other household supplies in proper.
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 second thought,
since no household supply is sold go
proportionstely high in a retah- way
With potatoes or apples at q dollar per
busheI the customer may usually pro-
cure a peck for twenty-five cents, but
not so with the golden products OF the
Florida orange groves. Oranges are
generally sold ut retail a. an advance
of from one to two hundred per cent?
on the price at which they are obtain
able by the box. The regulation box
contains 112, 12s, $50, It's, 200, 25O
and 300 oranges, the quality being, Of
course, according to the size of the
fruit. The cost in this market will
generally run from ST. 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 l76 size
would cost by the box 13a cents per
dozen, and are retailed at 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
irost- 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 on 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 an 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 o liberal
use of this fruit as an article Of diet.
Physicians arc 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 ndvice 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.