84 CITRUS CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



over them unless the trees are pruned high. That would allow 

 the sun to strike direct on them. In such a case it is well to 

 place some loose straw over them. Let them lay on the 

 ground a week or ten days, the weather permitting. They 

 should not be handled until they have shriveled enough to 

 allow handling. Then take them and on the floor of a close 

 room pile the lemons in large heaps, and cover them with 

 gunny sacks or blankets, shut the door, and let them remain 

 forty-eight hours, then wipe them carefully, for they will be 

 covered with moisture, and put them into boxes, filling them 

 only half full, and pile the boxes one above the other in the 

 room, and be careful not to let a current of air pass through 

 the room ; the doors should be shut until the lemons are per- 

 fectly dry, which will be in three or four days; then carefully 

 size them, and leave out all imperfect fruit, as it injures the 

 sale of the good fruit. Then wrap them in tissue paper, and 

 pack them very tightly in boxes, marking number of lemons 

 and brand on each box. In picking it is best to use baskets, 

 and the fruit will not get pricked with the thorns. 



ANOTHER PROCESS RECOMMENDED. 



Mr. A. Scott Chapman, of San Gabriel, has met with very 

 good success in curing lemons. His process is very simple: 

 The fruit is gathered green, just when turning to yellow, and of 

 such a size that, allowing for shrinkage, will pack from two 

 hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty in a box. The 

 man gathering has his sack suspended across his shoulders, 

 takes hold of the lemon with his left hand, and with his right 

 clips the stem with a clipper close to the calyx of the fruit. 

 In case he should drop one he is not allowed to pick it up, for 

 that lemon is liable to rot. He carefully places them in his 

 sack, and having half filled the same, places them one by one 

 in a tray. The trays are placed one above another in the shade 

 of the tree (the trays are six inches deep, filled four inches deep 

 with lemons); there they are allowed to remain for one week, 

 the weather permitting. They will then bear the jar of trans- 

 porting them to the packing house. At the packing house the 

 trays are placed one above another, about six trays high; a 



