HANDLING THE CITRUS CROP. 421 



feet, made box shape and open at the four corners. The 

 ventilation is controlled by the raising or lowering of 

 this canvas, and each block of fruit can be given exactly 

 the ventilation that it requires irrespective of the other 

 fruit in the house. By this method fifty or even one hun- 

 dred cars of fruit can be handled and kept in as good con- 

 dition as if there was only one. Each block being num- 

 bered, a complete record of the lemons from each of the 

 six sections of the ranch is kept from the time it is gath- 

 ered until shipped. The fruit is all washed in a lemon 

 washing machine and is piled up in the house wet just as 

 it comes from the machine. The canvas covers are not 

 dropped over it, however, until it is thoroughly dry. 



"The Limoneira Company handled over one hundred 

 cars by this method last j-ear with perfect success, some 

 of the fruit being kept for nearly six months in good con- 

 dition. Not a lemon was shipped under ice, and no allow- 

 ance was allowed nor claim made for decay, excepting on 

 one car which contained weak stock and which, by reason 

 of a mistake in transportation, was nearly a month in 

 transit. In this case 5 per cent deduction was allowed. 

 There were, some weeks ago, about sixty -five cars of 

 lemons in the company's packing house and we did not 

 feel the least uneasiness regarding it, knowing that by 

 this method we are masters of the situation. Anyone 

 trying to handle that quantity of fruit by the old method 

 would be gray-headed in a single season. 



"AN IMPRACTICABLE PLAN. 



"We hear a great deal of late about sending our 

 lemons East as soon as cut, there to be held in cold stor- 

 age for a favorable market. T must say that T have no 



