The record-union., 1899-06-14

a week aIteT g. neAVy ram. II Is SeuGi >
ally conceded that the dryer the time
of picking the better the lemons wifi
keep. Only the perfect lemons are
picked for shipment. They are cut
from the tree. All baskets are lined
with straw and covered with burlap-
When larger baskets are filled they
are carried to the orchard packing
house by women who carry them on
their heads Here they are resorted
at once, wrapped and packed In boxes,
and loaded on springless carts and
| transported to the railroad depot or
| hauled direct to the shippers packing
house. The roads are smooth macadam.
From four to eight days intervene be-
fore the shipper opens the boxes TOR
resorting and packing. A seemingly
perfect lemon when packed will after
three to five days develop a small
brown spot, which penetrates to the
center and causes decay. For this rea-
son, very careful expert examiners are
| employed, and the inspection is very
sharp. All doubtful lemons are thrown
aside.
These inspectors are constantly
watched by overseers. who are contin-
| ually looking over their baskets, for
the first imperfect lemon passed, a rep
| rimand is given, and for the third Of
Tense, the Inspector is discharged These
sorters have to serve long apprentice
ship before obtaining positions. With
such assystem. one can comprehend in
a partial manner the care taken, and
in this lies one of the secrets of the
keeping qualities and the better prices
of Sicily lemons. A paper is placed be-
tween each layer in the boxes, and the
handsome Autograph Innings with the
ends rounded so as to open out when
the cover is removed produces good
impression.
Only first and second qualities are
picked for shipment to the United
States, both of which are examined
with equal scrutiny. The first must be
actually perfect, and the second quail
ity must be nearly as good.
Since the duty was put on in the
United States, the packers have spared
no pains or expense to make their pack
attractive, both in fruit and pack. They
use fancy foil wrappers and tinsel and
also place a chrome of the Italian girl
sorters over the top layer. They tell
me that this fancy packing costs 4S
to 90 cents box. The wages for sort
ers is 20 cents day, packers 30 cents
| a day, while an overseer. after years
of experience, gets so cents All work
from twelve to fifteen hours. About
e-fourths are women and girls at
20 cents day each.
mo scale or smut is seen in the first
or second qualities. which are either
800 or 800 to the box. The boxes vary
in size. The 300 size is 81 inches long,
IL inches high and II inches wide and
sometimes l inch larger for the 360s.
These qualities can be laid down in
New York for 81. 40 besides the cost Of
the lemons The freight is 20 cents,
and the duty SO. cents for AZ kilos, or
8 pounds The packers here say the
duty curtis no figure. as itkcomes out Of
the grower sf
PROTECTION, OF HORTICULTURE.
Pacific Rural Press: An Act APPROX
ed by the Governor is now in force
which provides that any person, persons
or corporation who shall receive, bring
or cause to be brought into this State
any nursery stock. trees, shrubs, plants.
vines, cuttings, CRAFTS, scions, buds or
fruit pits or fruit, vegetables shall,
| within "a hours after the arrival
thereof, notify the State Horticultural
| Quarantine Officer, or the quarantine
| guardian of the district Or county in
which such nursery stock or fruit or
vegetables are received Of their arrival,
! and hold the same without unnecessar-
| lily moving the same or placing such
articles where they may be harmful
| for the immediate inspection of such
State Horticultural Quarantine Officer
or guardian If there-is no quarantine
guardian or State Horticultural Quar-
| antine Officer in the county where such
nursery stock or fruit or vegetables are
received, it shall then be the duty OF
such person, persons or corporation to
notify the State Board of Horticulture
who shall make immediate arrange
ments for their inspection. Authority
to enter warehouses. etc, to make in
spection is given the designated Off
| GERS.
Any shipment found infested with in
| furious insects. or their eggs, larvae OF
pupae or infected with disease, shall
be disinfected at the expense of the
| owner or agent If infected with any
species of injurious insects. or their
eggs. larvae or pupae not existing in
| the OfcHdIuS, NlIleydTCS, SdTutuS VI
farms of California, such infested ship
4 ments shall be Immediately sent out OF
the State, or destroyed, ait the option
! of the owner or agent. and at his ex-
| pense.
The importation Of peach, nectarine
or apricot stock, buds. cuttings or pits
from any district where the diseases
| known as the peach yeliows" OIL
peach rosette' is known to exist, is
prohibited, and any such shipment shall
be destroyed or returned at the option
Of the owner or agent
| Importation Of the English or Aus
| tralian wild rabbit. flying fox, mon
goose, or any other animal detrimental
to horticultural and agricultural inter-
| ests is likewise prohibited.
Violation of this Act is a misdemean-
| or. In effect Immediately.
ADMIRAL DEWEY.