162 FLORIDA FRUITS OTHER CITRUS FRUITS. 



family, and is often touched by frosts; second, because 

 the fruit does not ship well ; and third, because the prices 

 it brings in market are not as great as those for oranges or 

 lemons. 



Granted the first reason ; but the injury done by the 

 cold in South and East Florida is, after all, infrequent, 

 and rarely amounts to more than killing the tender new 

 growth which the lime is ever putting on, regardless of 

 season, drought, or poor soil, and this does not really hurt 

 the tree. It is true that the area of successful growth of 

 the lime is limited; all the better, then, for those who 

 dwell within that area ; there is no danger of their enter- 

 prise being overdone. Therefore, South and East Florida 

 may pass by this first reason for non-cultivation of the 

 lime as of minor importance to them at least. 



Now for the second " the fruit will not ship well ;" we 

 move an amendment: "It has not shipped well;" and 

 then we grant this too. But this is not the fault of the 

 fruit any more than that of the sweated orange, which, 

 started on its downward journey by heedless or ignorant 

 hands, reaches its destination in an unsalable condition. 

 This frequently happens, yet we never heard any one say 

 that the * ' orange will not ship well," nor does any one re- 

 fuse to set out groves of the same on this account. 



The truth is that the lime will ship just as well as its 

 kindred fruit, the lemon, if picked when only a quarter 

 or half ripe, cured on drying shelves, and packed just like 

 oranges and lemons. 



But we have never known a single instance where this 

 ordinary care has been taken with the lime. It has never 

 had a fair chance given it to reach its market in good con- 

 dition. Nor is the absence of the curing process the only 

 trouble, as a prominent grower plainly puts the case : 



"Our producers have not selected their fruit. They 



