OKANGES AND LEMONS JN MESSINA. 499 



MESSINA. 



REPORT OF CONSUL JONES. 



[Republished from Consular Kcport No. 102.] 



ORANGES AND LEMONS. 



Ju Sicily lemon culture is 30 per cent, more profitable than orange 

 culture; lemon trees are more prolific than orange trees. Prices for 

 lemons are higher tban for oranges. Tbe province of Palermo is the 

 great orange district of Sicily. Throughout the province of Messina 

 tbr orange was exterminated in 1865-1870 by the "gum," and the lemon 

 budded on the wild orange has taken its place. To defy the ravages of 

 the gum the bud must be put in the wild orange stock at least 3 feet 

 from the ground. 



ORANGES. 



The bulk of oranges shipped from Messina comes from the province 

 of Reggio on the main-laud. In Calabria they begin gathering the orange 

 in October ; their fruit is hard, sour, and of a whitish appearance ; it is 

 shipped to England. Shipments of oranges to the United States begin 

 in December. They begin gathering oranges in Sicily in November, if 

 we except small shipments to London of unripe and undersized oranges 

 from Milasso, 30 miles to the northwest of Messina. This poor fruit is 

 quoted at about 70 cents a box in October ; deducting 20 cents for cost 

 of box, leaves 50 cents for the fruit and handling. These oranges are 

 bought by confectioners. 



The climate of southern Italy being warmer in summer than that of 

 Sicily (Sicily, surrounded by the deep waters of the Mediterranean, is 

 cooler in summer and warmer in winter than the province of Eeggio), 

 and the oranges being generally grown on a light, sandy soil, account 

 for their maturing earlier in Calabria. As just stated, the first gather- 

 ing of oranges in Sicily occurs in November, but most of the crop is 

 gathered in December and January. The Sicilian grower prefers run- 

 ning the risk of damage by frost (but two crops have been injured by 

 cold during the last twenty years) to gathering his oranges when they 

 are still too immature. Sicily oranges, which are, of course, not fully 

 ripe when gathered, keep well for forty days. Frequently the fruit when 

 gathered is allowed to sweat in the groves from two to three days, piled 

 on the ground and covered over with tarpaulins ; it is then wrapped in 

 tissue paper, boxed up, and sent to the city. Fruit is also sent directly 

 from the groves. All fruit upon reaching the exporters' warehouses is 

 carefully inspected, selected, and wrapped in fresh tissue paper, and re- 

 packed. Exporters ship their oranges as soon as packed. 



COST OF PACKING SHIPMENT. 



During the shipping season large firms in Messina employ as many 

 as three hundred women and girls, paying them 20 to 25 cents a day 



