THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 397 



If the fruit is to be washed, as is sometimes necessary, this should be 

 •done as soon as it is brought from the orchard. 



It should be our aim, regardless of expense, to put the fruit on the 

 market in a perfectly sound condition. There is nothing that so 

 demoralizes the market as decayed fruit, unless it be fruit that cuts dry. 

 A few cars of oranges landing in New York or any other market and 

 either showing decay or cutting dry will knock from 25 cents to 50 cents 

 a box off the price of all sound fruit. Such conditions of course are 

 fatal to the cars thus showing up. It is wise not only to use all possible 

 care in handling the fruit, but to doubly insure against decay by ship- 

 ping under refrigeration. Begin refrigeration early in the season and 

 do not gamble by sending a few cars forward under ventilation in the 

 hope of saving dollars. Almost every season we have a period of low 

 prices caused solely by this false economy. 



The season just closed was the most unsatisfactory and the least 

 profitable we have had for a number of years. This was the result of 

 the persistent shipment of frost-damaged fruit. Every time the market 

 got strong and showed an upward tendency with satisfactory prices for 

 good fruit, shippers would flood it with this worthless stock. They 

 adopted the same tactics the boy does who wants to get into the circus 

 without a ticket. He hangs around the entrance until the rush is on 

 and then slips in along with the crowd. We overlook the action of the 

 boy, nevertheless it was dishonest. Furthermore, that boy was less 

 likely to be caught than the other fellow, for he was sure to be found 

 out. We delude ourselves when we think we can fool the trade at the 

 other end. 



When this frost-damaged fruit was shipped it always knocked the 

 market until good stock did not bring its real value and but little or 

 nothing was realized for the poor stuff. That was poor business. The 

 industry as a whole was thereby greatly injured, and the reputation of 

 the California orange suffered. "We don't like California oranges any 

 more ; they are too dry, ' ' was the common remark one heard in the 

 ■east. One dealer told me that he had sold a car of oranges which he 

 didn't believe contained a pint of juice. Many such cars were aban- 

 doned to the railroad for freight charges. A dealer in a certain city 

 sold thirty such cars for the railroad companies. Hundreds of other 

 cars, solely from this cause, brought less than freight and packing 

 charges. Who was to blame? You answer. 



Every orange offered to a consumer should be rich in juice and 

 flavor. If such were always the case, the markets would readily take 

 all the good fruit that California, north and south, is able to produce, 

 at good prices. 



Chairman Hunt. Mr. Chapman said in the beginning of his address 

 that he had not had time to prepare a careful paper, such as he would 

 like to have done. I am wondering what he would have done if he 

 really had had the time. This paper is now open for discussion. 



Mr. Vaile. Mr. Chairman, it seems to me that one of the most 

 important subjects in citrus culture is the subject of irrigation, and 



