OKA M> LliMONS IN SICILY. 521 



According to a statistical report in 1880, by ProfessorCassella, it seems 

 that the ior;l production of said fruit amounted to as follows, viz: 



KV.uione meridionale Adriatica 85,000,000 



Kfiiiono metidionaie Mediterranea 725,000,000 



Regione meridionale Sicilia x . 1,622,000,000 



Total fruits 2,432,000,000 



VINCENT LAMANTIA, 



Consul. 

 UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Catania , January 22, 1890. 



SICILY. 

 REPORT BY CONSUL JONJBS OF MESSINA. 



KEEPING QUALITY OF SICILY LEMONS. 



Properly speaking, no process for curing lemons is employed by the 

 fruit-growers of Messina. That lemons grown in the Messina district 

 keep perfectly for months before being put on the market is due to the 

 great care in gathering, handling, and packing the fruit ; to their keep- 

 ing qualities derived from the nature of soil on which they are grown, 

 climate, and variety cultivated. 



First. The lemons are gathered with great care, the peduncle being cut 

 (not broken) off smoothly near to the lemon. The fruit is carried to the 

 warehouse in baskets lined with cloth, where it is spread out on the 

 floor (if of wood) or on large mats (if the floor be of stone) and allowed 

 to dry from twenty-four to forty-eight hours even longer if there is 

 sufficient room in warehouse but never more than six days. - If lemons 

 piled, say, 4 feet deep are left for any length of time, the first layers 

 become greatly heated, and soon spoil. The fruit, having been carefully 

 selected, is next wrapped in tissue-paper and packed in boxes. Upon 

 reaching the city warehouses the exporters, before shipping, have the 

 boxes re inspected; the least defect in the fruit causes its rejection. 

 When packed for the last time, prior to shipping, care is taken to pack 

 each lemon with its nose down. If the boxes are kept any length of 

 time in warehouses, they are opened every three weeks and each lemon 

 carefully examined. A lemon with a blemish, so slight as to be notice- 

 able, but to an expert, is thrown out as unfit for exportation. Lemon- 

 juice and essence are extracted from these rejected lemons. The fruit 

 contained in each box must be of the same size; an easy matter, owing 

 to the monthly harvestings. Sizers are unknown here. 



Lemons are gathered from October to August ; they should not weigh 

 less than 80 grams each or average more than from 2 J to 3 inches in 

 diameter when gathered. 



