Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-12-18

Vlously grown types that it was soon
adopted for commercial culture
The growing of Valencia oranges
IN California was later and compare
lively recent development. It supple
ments the Washington Naval crop to
make a continuous year-around sup
ply of oranges from this state. This
year about Is million 70-pound boxes
of oranges, Exclusive of Valencias.)
will be harvested in California. and
most OF these will be of the Washing
ton Naval variety, ali propagated
from the two famous Riverside trees
in about so years. California produces
more Valencia-type oranges than
Navals but they come on the market
later in the year and production fig
ures for 1887 are not yet available.
Last season there were more than 10
million boxes Of Valencias grown in
California.
Meantime orange growing has been
flourisning in Florida since the sixties
when the railroads entered into the
commercial development of the indus
try, as they did some years later in
California. Although oranges were
planted by the Spaniards three CEN
turtles ago in the st. Augustine area
they remained a door-yard fruit as
long as the only way of TRANSPORTING
them was by river boats. We shall
have more oranges from Florida this
season than last-21 million boxes as
compared with Is million in 1885
season. They will be packed 80 pounds
to the box. The Parson Brown variety
came on the market in October and
November and now we are getting
the mid-season variety, the Pineapple.
which continues until about the mid
die of March The Valencia is the
late Florida orange, in season from
early March through May. About the
time it's season is over, the California
Valencias come on the market
Texas will also market more than
100000 boxes this year of the ninety
pound size. Arizona grows oranges,
too, and Alabama and Mississippi
have the hardy Satsuma type in the
fall, all adding to the grand total pro-
duced. So we are assured of our or
anges one way and another through
out the year, and at prices most of us
consider moderate in relation to the
rest of the budget.
When the housewife goes tn b,,v
oranges she has her choice of small
Ter or larger ones, running from 1926
to PIG to the box. Those that pack 176
to 200 to the box are good family sizes,
but sometimes the small thin-skinned
oranges contain plenty of juice and
are good bargains. Oranges sold in
colored net bags are usually marked
as to size by the box designations.
as "150s' or "216's,' or the number
of fruit in the bag is given.
The best quality oranges are firm.
heavy with juice, and have a fine
textured skin for the variety Florida
and Texas oranges are sometimes
"russet" in color. This does not affect
the flavor, nor do surface blemishes
light slight scars or scratches. Soft
wet spots mean decay which cannot
be cut away as in some fruits. Puffy,
spongy, lightweight round oranges
should be avoided as they are likely to
be deficient in juice and flavor. The
"kid-glove'' types however like tan
gerines, Satsumas, King and man
DARN oranges are exceptions in re-
spect to a loose puffy skin but the
juiciest ones will be fairly heavy. for
their size.
One often see the words color ad-
ded' stamped on. an orange. This
means that the orange has gone thro-
ugh a dye bath to give it more orange
color. When this trade practice is ap-
piled to fully mature oranges of va
rieties that may not be as highly col
ored as people seem to demand it is
permissible for the present. The dye
is harmless, but the customer has a
right to know what she is buying. An
other permissible treatment for or
anges is by ethlylene gas, which re-
veals the natural yellow color of ripe
fruit.