The St. Louis Republic., 1902-03-16
perature tn 2S and % degrees above ssps
for a few hours some winter nisH'-
How CROP II Estimated.

for a few hours some winter night
How Crop Il Estimated.
When the orange harvesting season nss
arrived. the grower. who has frtnt NJ tor
The market Will ne visited by agents for
companies or individuals who have capltat
and engage in fruit shipping. t.acn agent
Will waik among the laden trees and esti-
mate the size and quality of the crop Ihth
~ offers the grower n price for the who!e
crop. the agent TO pick and ship the frHis
AT his own convenience. II the grower de.
mUTS. perhaps another buying agent VIII
come on the scene. He also Will estimate
grower will get seven eight buying
lcents 10 bidding against one another for
his yield. When at last the grower has
with a gang of men and the work of pick
ing heG!ns. Unlike harvesting an apple or
srripCe, Of its fruit only by stages The
U.ckesS :.o over a grove three or four tirnes
in season. about two weeks apart eacn
TINE pluclins only the ripe fruit. for or
aEceS come to frUition at irregular periods.
The orange grove Of the inauguration Is
stretch of trees filed with golden fruit;
where one can lie in the soft grass and
lr>:-i4ta in the sight. The actual grove,
y hilc beautiful TO the eye. Is not plaGss
b.. kent piuwei continually and irrigated
often by foods cf water But the treeS
ripe and green frui. and white blossoms az
tha sam" time.
\ =,n,; Il men under the head Of 4 leader
or o-.rserr takes possession OF grove
early IN the morning. two or three men
being appointed I" a tree. and the picking
hs gins Tall St.piadd.rs enable the pickefs
t., reach The ior, branches. and each orange
= carefully cut from the tree. for II IL IL
pulled and the skin broken II Will soon ds
cay. The picker wears bag into wnich TIE
fruit is dropped In some groves various
machines are used. Thus one patent Is a
knife on long pole ,i which l, Is c"nnT aIst IN
this WY drops Into the chute and by an
arrancement ~ traps drops from ono ~, "
anctt er and finally drops into a h"S nn-
Injured The ordinary method. however, -
tn orange 3:cksrs are usually jolly la&.
there Icing 81 niethiri, about the occupation
apparently that cniivens the spirits and I'M
p.rts an air Of jc"iJy to the party ice
Mcxictus AMI Americans labor IN harmony.
bur an orange ii; k!Gg team composed OF
CEit.ap!sr and Americans appears 10 Worx
his ladder gives way without warning. ar2p-
Ping him into tho thornv tree or upon tne
ground. u, J. on taFteG WITH orausef,
from unseen Quarters or finds MS pis'aiI
flstsnc1 :" q branch: III Other worGs. az
d rule his lite in the C;3n@e grove Is 70.
as pleasant as It right IL. II. is strongly
thi- wiz rot suruort Il white man of fama--
ly. addicted Io taN-ps wing.
visitors Are Astonished.
AT the orange picking time the country
is a marvel to the visitor While s,anaIns
among the oranges the picker looks avs!
oyer grove after grove. fields OF mowers;
acres II golden eschoizias; patches OF wna Wa
dnisie, hlusbellS and yellow viole.S ana
finally his eyes rest upon the Sierra MauIes.
"r rn:-L,r mountains rising but four or nve
miles distant the garden wall OF this moo
ern Hesperides His nostris, inhaIe lhe oioI
of the orange blossoms. while his eyes greet
the snow banks of a vigorous wintef. me
great peaks are capped with snow and me
upland blizzard IS raging with 3hapausu
fury. From the vantage ground OF ths
orange grove the wind can De seen on
Mount san Antonio whirling aloft the snow
In gigantic wraiths- tossing II upward IN
huge clouds that rise HUNDREDS OF Iest, AZ, 70
sipated With eyes on this arctic scene tne
observer can scarce believe the facts, scarce
realize that he can by a single glance en-
compass winter and summer The orange
picker. however. has no time to spend
on the aesthetics of the subject: he Is pick
irg against time and an eager East Is walt
ing
Arrived ct the packing house the orange
IS made ready for the market and mere IS
where high art in the orange business Is
necessary. The critical eye OF the consumer
two or three thousand miles from the
grower must be pleased to insure success
From tho sunny scented grove to place
beside rival oranges in land of snow and
ice IS far cry. and to prepare the product
fer a welcome among strangers calls for a
lot OF, dressing UP and preparation at this
end of the journey.
Fruit Carefully Packed.
First OF all. the great wagon loads of
boxes are carefully Tailed to hnd whether
any fruit from the pickers in the grove Is
missing. Then the boxes with their golden
spheres are set aside for a three days cur
ing. Fresh from the tree. an orange Is still
very much alive. with the oil cells expanded
and the mystery of growth not yet suspend b,
ed Cut of from the sap supply. q chango
takes place. The skin draws closer 10 the
pulp and gives of moisture that would
cause sweating IL the fruit were packed a.