THE CUBA REVIEW 



AND BULLETIN 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA" 

 Copyrifht, 1907, by the Munson Steamship Line. 



Volume V. SEPTEMBER, 1907. Number 10. 



HANDLING ORANGES AND GRAPE-FRUIT. 



Valuable Suggestions on Picking, Curing, Grading and Packing. 



BY H. HAROLD HUME. 



Author of Citrus Fruits and Their Culture. 



FROM THE TREE TO THE BOX. 



The crop of fruit is on the trees, ready for the hand of the picker. How can we 

 handle it to get the most money out of it? Granted that it is good fruit, the idea 

 is to put it in the market in as perfect condition as it is on the trees, without speck, 

 spot or blemish. If properly handled no fruit will keep longer or carry better than 

 the orange and grape-fruit, but the fruit must be picked carefully, cured well and 

 packed tight. The skin must neither be broken nor bruised. It requires as much 

 care, just as much effort to market the fruit successfully as was required in growing it. 

 Handle like eggs! 



NECESSARY EQUIPMENT. 



Packing house. A packing house of some kind should be provided. The floor 

 space should be large enough to store the fruit before packing (and it must not be 

 in deep piles), and allow enough room for the sizer and for work. An open shed 

 may be used, but a closed room is best. During the time the building is used for 

 packing, it should not be used for any other purpose. 



Siser. Oranges and grape-fruit must be sized accurately, and this can only be 

 done with a machine. A good one must run the fruit through true to size on its 

 largest diameter, whether round or flat. It is run by foot power or by a gasolene engine. 

 One of the best sizers is the Huntley. It costs about $30. It is simple in construc- 

 tion, easily operated, and allows two lines of fruit to run through at once. Thus 

 oranges and grape7fruit may be sized at one time, or two grades of oranges. 



In default of a sizer the fruit may be sized by means of a board with notches 

 of the right width cut in one side. The fruit must be sized closely, as many of the 

 sizes only vary 1/16 of an inch in diameter. 



Picking Baskets. The rattan basket in general use in Florida, and shown on 

 page 8, is the best receptacle for picking fruits. It measures 18 inches higb 



at the front, 15 inches high at the back, 15 inches wide and io>^ inches from back 

 to front, and holds about one bushel. Two stout rings in the rim, through which a 

 broad strap for the shoulder may be passed, provide the necessary handle. The sides 

 are thick, and protect the fruit well. It is best to pad the bottom with a piece of burlap. 



Field Boxes. When the fruit is gathered, it is emptied into the field boxes. In 

 the packing house the fruit can best be cured in the field boxes, so a sufficient number 

 should be provided. The ordinary orange packing box may be used, though a shallower 

 box is preferable. Do not fill these boxes too full, as it is very handy to set them 

 up in the packing house, one on top of the other, and there is danger of bruising 

 if the fruit projects above the sides, even a little. 



Washers. All the fruit should go into the market bright and clean. It often 

 becomes necessary to wash it. Small quantities may be washed by hand in a tub of 

 water, using a soft brush. The bristles must not injure the rind. For larger quantities 

 the washer shown in the accompanying illustration is the best we know. It does the 



