The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-11-15
ENDORSE CITRUS
EXCHANGE MOVE
IN SURPRISING GREEN ORANGE
SHIPMENTS.
Comes From the Boston Mass
Transcript in Lengthy Edito-
rial of Recent Date.

The following editorial appeared in
a recent issue of the Boston (Mass.)
Transcript, heartily endorsing the
work of the Florida Citrus Exchange:
For years We have heard it said
that the Italian fruit venders ripened
their bananas by taking the lunches
TO bed with them, but as we, person
ally, never obtained our bananas from
such sources-that is, never knowing
ly-the news was received calmly
Within the past few days, however,
We learn that we have been frequent
~ partaking of "sweated oranges"
and first We demand to know what a
mand that somebody put a stop to it.
IF given to the orange habit, our
eyes have squinted shut under the
acid persuasion of sweated fruit,
which would taste sour by any other
name. Between the end of the sea-
son for California oranges and the be-
ginning of the season for the Flor
ida variety sa period when the fruit
dealers must be satisfied with any
kind of oranges they can obtain. I'll
timately this dearth will be supplied
by Porto Rican and Cuban oranges :;
but, at present, the temptation is
strong on the Florida growers to
hasten their shipments when they can
sell for $3.50 and So, even if the fruit
is green, for, holding it until cooler
weather and competition, they re-
ceive only s1.25 and $3.50. The or
anges come North as green as young
foliage, but by leaving them in a
closed room with a kettle of water
on a gas stove the lightning change
is both gratifying and profitable; in
forty-eight hours they are a plausible
yellow. This process is not necessary
i in getting the Florida fruit to north
ern markets: 1t is necessary if the
green fruit, shipped to catch the
| early high prices, is to SELL The
| temptation to ship green grapefruit is
| even stronger with the Florida grow
! ers and the tangle of lawsuits which
! snarls the Southern fruit dealers had
| its beginning in this practice.
"Whethev this forced fruit Is in
| juriaus TO health is a matter of dis
pute. In the contest between the
| Florida Citrus Exchange and one OF
these too-eager shippers, the car OF
| grapefruit chosen for the issue was
examined by the Federal inspector:
and three representatives from the
! New York board of health and pro
nounced ripe = which. of course
| proves nothing, except that this par
ticular fruit was ripe.
This pot of trouble has been il
brew since 1907, when Dr. W. D
! Bigelow began the study of artificia
ripening of oranges. The practice wal
known then to be extensive, but un
der the prevailing interpretations o
the pure food law it was not certain
that it could be successfully attack
ed. The government sent it's agent,
to Florida to smell around. Th'
chemists tried a few experiments il
the privacy of the laboratory. Wha
they learned was that the main oh
lection to the forced ripening of OF
anges is that it does not ripen. Th'
color OF the skin oranges, but no
TIE chemical constituents of the fruit
The percentage of acid remains yer,
high, and the sugar, which develop
in normal ripening, does not appear
You are eating a green apple painte'
:, red Oh the outside.
Last April these experiments ha
! made it possible for the board o
foods and drug inspection to issue
bulletin to the Federal officers of thi
department, declaring such orange
to be injurious, particularly to chi
dren, and citing the passage in tn
food and drugs act under which Pre-
ceedings might be begun. The bu
ietin reads:
The coloring Of Green Citrus Fruit:
The attention of the board of foe
. and drug inspection has been dlrec
ed to the shipment in interstate con
merce of green, immature citru
fruits, particularly oranges, whic
have been artifcia1ly colored by hole
ing in a warm, moist atmosphere 10
short period of time after remova
from the tree. Evidence is adduce
showing that such oranges do nc
change in sugar and acid content a
ter removal from the tree. Evidenc
further shows that the same orange
remaining on the tree increase mari
edly in sugar content and decrease i
acid content Further, there is ev
dence to show that the consumptio
of such immature oranges, especlail
by children. is apt to be attended b
| serious disturbances of the digestiy