New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-09

year round. beginning with the navels in No
vember IN time for the Christmas trade These
ship until June. then come the Mediterranean
sweets, tho blood oranges and others Thousands
OF pckers swarm over the fields. japanese. Chi
nese. Mexicans. half-breeds whites. in indis-
eliminate mixture. who with knives ladders. bags
and boxes climb. clip and pack until the groves
resemble busy ant hills. Cooperative packing
companies handle almost all the shipments.
facilitating matters and reducing expenses. Giant
machines wash. dry. polish and carry the fruit.
finally sorting II according TO size, padded spouts
and bins keeping the fruit from bruslng. Women
wrap the fruit in, paper and pack II In boxes. the
sizes OF the oranges making the contents OF the
boxes range from IS TO $50 in each box.
Science and common sense have been busy in
the last few years determining the best methods
OF handling the fruit. the most expedent manner
OF packing and shipping, and the quickest fac!li-
ties for marketing, The Department Of Agriculture
recently carried experiment TO determine
what caused rot in fruit that apparently
sound. Experts stayed the ground and in the
packing houses accompanied trains OF fruit
in their long journey across the continent 10 New
York. 1t found that from 10 TO % per cent
OF the decay caused by a slight wound in each
orange made by the clippers in the hands of the
gatherers who cut the fruit from the bough. and
this percentage saved by the simple process OF
having the points OF all scissors made blunt. Fin
ger nails have often caused abrasions in the skin.
so the women who pack the boxes must have
their nails closely cut before going to work
The navel orange rules in the markets Of the
world. II has been the fruit that did most to de-
velop California. and forms the greater bulk of
the many million boxes that California sends to
the OF the world every year. 1t is a young
orange in this country, but in it's home land. Bra
I'll. 1t has been known since 1862 An American
woman who spent her life missinary in that
part OF the world wrote home about this seedess
orange OF the flavor. In 1870 William Saun-
NJ he Agriculture red
about a dozen plants. after much difficulty and
planted them in a conservatory In Washington.
In 1873 Tibbetts secured two of the that
the government ready TO give away, and, TAX
ing them to Riverside. Cal. started the navel
ange industry. In 1879 this new variety was the
leading feature of the Riverside Fair. Buds sold
as high s. apiece. In one year $500 worth OF
buds sold from these two trees.
Up to that time less than $4,000 had been in
vested in oranges in California To-day the citrus
industry represents investment of 100000. 900.
with a yearly income OF N+.Oco0o. A little
twenty five years ago the available crop of seed
less oranges for shipping was one box. In 1898
1900 carloads went out of the state. and in 1904
5000 carloads were shipped, a total OF 100000
boxes.
Orange trees planted out at n greater age
than deciduous trees being allowed two years
in the nursery and in the bud. so they are
three years old when transplanted. Each tree
usually Yields from 500 to 1000 oranges annually,
though in Florida some trees have borne many
thousand each. The trees often reach a
great age. there being one in Cordova, SPAIN that
is now hundred years old. the possible an
cestor OF many American trees. The orange is
one of the oldest OF cultivated fruits and is said
to have originated in the Indo-Chinese countries
countless ages ago.
Many experiments are continually being made TO
protect the groves from frost. One method is TO
light small coal fires through the orchard. twenty
to Atty to an acre Another is to roof the orchard
over, another is to plant windbreaks of euca-
lyptus pepper Monterey cypress trees Ari-
IONA lands being opened for orange culture
and Louisiana produces the sweet. sour, satsuma,
mandarins and tangerines.
FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.
(To- morrow's article by Mr.. Haskin will be on
Americans as monument builders)