TIlFi: MONTHLY BULLETIN. 405 



market a lot of sour, immature fruit whieli nobody can eat without bury- 

 ing it in sugar ? It is also worthy of note in passing, that a considerable 

 proportion of the culprits belong to a class which (Iocs not help pa>' for 

 the advertising. 



Early Maturity. 



Oranges mature early in Central and Northern California and nature 

 has given the northern growers the right to dominate the Christmas 

 trade. Florida also produces early oranges in increasing amounts and 

 if we are to successfully market the future thousands of ears of North- 

 ern California navels in the face of the Floi'ida competition for the 

 Thanksgiving and Christmas trade we must do two things — stop the 

 sale of immature oranges, and increase our advertising. With cheap 

 land, cheap water, comparative freedom from frost, and freedom from 

 many posts which are serious elsewhere, it is difficult to foresee the 

 magnitude to which the Northern California citrus industry may 

 develop. Such development can only take place, however, when the 

 consumption of one orange creates a strong desire for more. To yield 

 to the temptation to reap a temporary gain liy selling green oranges 

 to the i)ei-maneiit injury of the market is equivalent to selling our birth- 

 right for a "mess of pottage." 



Percentage of Sugar and Acid in Oranges. 



The amount of sugar and acid contained in mature oranges varies a 

 good deal, depending upon the variety, the season, and the climatic and 

 soil conditions. Average mature California oranges contain about 

 30 per cent rind and 40 per cent juice when freshly picked from the 

 trees. The percentage of jui( e increases as the fruit is cured, due to 

 loss of water in the rind. Average mature oranges contain about 1 per 

 cent citric acid and 10 per cent total sugars, about one half of which is 

 cane sugar. A perfectly green orange contains a large amount of acid 

 and a small amount of sugar. As the orange matures there is a gradual 

 reduction in the amount of acid and increase in the amount of sugar. 

 When a partially matured orange is picked from the tree the normal 

 process stops and there is a gradual loss in storage of both sugar and 

 acid due to the consumption of these substances in the life processes of 

 the fruit. An orange is not dead when picked from the tree. The life 

 processes go on and respiration takes place for a long time. If decay 

 organisms do not destroy the fruit, it may live and respire for as much 

 as four or fi\e months off the tree if protected from excessive loss of 

 moisture 



Sw^eatlng the Fruit. 



In certain localities some varieties of oranges attain approximate 

 maturity as to size, sweetness and acidity before the color changes from 

 green to yellow. Inasmuch as the public will not buy a green colored 

 orange, the custom of artificially coloring the fruit by sweating has 

 arisen. This practice is legitimate where the fruit sweated is mature and 

 sweet. The practice of sweating has been greatly abiLsed, however, and 

 many have used it to deceive the public and increase the early sales of 

 immature fruit. 



