424 CITRUS FRUITS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



and there is no use in paying transportation charges 

 on poor fruit that will injure the sale of the good. 



To any one examining the citrus fruits in any large 

 market the fact that there is a great lack of uniformity 

 in grading soon becomes apparent. California shipments 

 are usually well graded owing to the fact that so much 

 of the fruit is packed and shipped by large fruit com- 

 panies. The output is graded better and it is possible, 

 to maintain more uniform standards. But where the fruit 

 is shipped by a large number of small growers, each of 

 whom has his own ideals of grades, there is very likely 

 to be great lack of uniformity. Each one seems to be 

 impressed with the fact that he must label his best oranges 

 "Fancy," when as a matter of fact there may not be a 

 strictly fancy box of oranges in his whole grove. Again, 

 the fancy package put up by one grower may not equal 

 the second grade of another. 



There is no good way of getting over this difficulty, 

 and yet growers should have a well defined standard of 

 grades and adhere strictly to it. A fancy orange may 

 be difficult to find and yet it may be possible to put up a 

 package of good marketable fruit. It is the package taken 

 as a whole that establishes the grade. 



Grades. In Florida, two classes of fruit must often 

 be made. A certain portion of the fruit has been attacked 

 by the rust mite and shows the effects of its work in the 

 rusty color of the fruit. Certain localities are free from 

 its ravages, while many growers keep the insect down by 

 spraying. But in general the fruit must be classed as 

 Bright and Russet. They should be rigidly classed. 

 Every fruit showing the least russet mark should go in 

 the russet class. Each of these classes must be divided 

 into grades. The question of the number of grades at 



