THEIR CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



25 



planting. The nature of the tree is to 

 make a strong, upright growth the 

 fruit has a tendency to grow on the 

 ends of this growth. The checking of 

 this heavy growth by pruning, causes 

 the development of numerous lateral 



Cluster of Eureka Lemons. 



fruit bearing branches. The fruit is 

 set close in and there is no danger of 

 its becoming scarred and whipped 

 around, as it would be on long, spind- 

 ling branches extending out far be- 

 yond the confines of the trees. 



To overcome this, all long branches 

 should be cut back and thinned out, 

 leaving only such branches on the 

 young trees as will form a symmetri- 

 cal head. All strong, upright growth 

 that comes from these branches 

 should also be cut back so as to cause 

 the tree to have more of a spreading 

 nature. Care should also be taken to 

 prevent the tree from becoming too 

 dense; to produce good fruit a 

 lemon tree should be open so as to 

 admit plenty of sunlight and air. 



Systematic pruning of the lemon 

 not only brings the tree closer to the 

 ground, thus materially reducing the 

 cost of picking, but tends to cause the 

 tree to be more prolific and also pro- 

 duce a better quality of fruit. 



The preparation of the lemon for 

 market is quite different from that of 

 the orange. To secure best results in 

 quality and keeping properties the 

 lemon should be carefully cut from 

 the tree as soon as it is of the proper 

 size. Fruit left on the tree to color 

 is erenerally deficient in juice, a very 

 poor keeper and often times develops 

 bitterness. 



In picking lemons, rings are used 

 by the pickers to prevent the picking 

 of undersized fruit. For winter pick- 

 ing 2 5-16 inch rings are used and for 

 spring and summer picking 2*^ inch 

 rings. 



To obtain best results, both as to 

 size and keeping quality, the orchard 

 should be picked over every four or 

 six weeks. Right here is where the 

 grower cannot be too careful, as a 

 large part of the success or failure of 

 the lemon business is due to the 

 methods of picking and handling of 

 the fruit. It should be borne in mind 

 that every little bruise or bump effects 

 the keeping quality of the fruit. When 

 lemons are to be kept from three to 

 six months before going on to the 

 market, they should be handled as 

 carefully as eggs. 



Properly cured lemons may be kept 

 for months and they will improve in 

 market qualities, by a thinning and 

 toughening of the skin and by an in- 

 crease of juice content. 



The process of curing lemons is a 

 very simple one, yet a very particular 

 undertaking. After experimenting for 

 a number of years in the southern 

 part of the state, the "open air" plan 

 has been found to be the best method 

 of curing the fruit. The lemon houses 

 are built with only a floor and a roof, 

 leaving off all sides for a free circula- 

 tion of air. The fruit is stacked in 

 blocks, of several hundred boxes or 

 trays of fruit in a block and each block 

 is covered with a canvas tent made for 

 the purpose, and so arranged that the 

 tent can be raised or lowered to con- 

 trol the ventilation. 



Great care should be exercised in 

 this respect as by improper ventila- 

 tion the fruit will sweat and com- 

 mence to decay from too little air or 

 become badly wilted from an over 

 supply. The desired condition to be 

 attained in curing is to bring out the 

 proper color, reduce the thickness of 

 the skin and increase the quantity of 

 juice and at the same time keep the 



