CULTURE OF FRUITS AND NUTS 233 



business is shown by the fact that some of the largest grow- 

 ers are investing thousands of dollars in packing and mar- 

 keting facilities where in former years the packing was 

 done in the orchards and marketing attended to only in a 

 sort of haphazard way. Some of the packing plants in 

 California and Florida cost upward of $10,000. 



TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 



1. What per cent, of the land in your state is devoted 

 to citrus fruit? Give the approximate acreage of oranges, 

 lemons, limes, grapefruit. In your judgment, what per 

 cent, of the other available unused land could be profit- 

 ably used for citrus fruit purposes? 



2. What varieties of oranges are produced in your 

 section? What varieties are considered the most profitable 

 and the most desirable for table use? 



3. Where do your local stores secure their stock of 

 citrus fruit? Make inquiry and find out, if possible, the 

 distance between the orchards where these are produced 

 and your local market. Find out how much it costs to 

 transport this fruit per box to your market. 



4. What is the food value of the oranges and grape- 

 fruit? Why do doctors often advise that small children, 

 invalids, and sick people take a great deal of orange juice? 



5. What are the reasons for changing from the native 

 sour and sweet oranges of Florida to the production of the 

 navel orange? If you wished to order budded and grafted 

 stock, of whom would you buy? Where would you go? 



6. What is the difference between budding and graft- 

 ing of trees? 



7. Secure at the local market a navel orange, the sweet 

 Florida orange and several other distinct varieties. Try 

 to discover the difference in flavor, color, texture. What 

 particular qualities does the citrus fruit market demand in 

 its fruit ? How may we secure these qualities from . our 

 orchards ? 



8. By the use of a score card judge ten oranges, ten 

 lemons, and ten grapefruit. 



