THE ORANGE IN CALIFORNIA — THE CROP, 



123 



THE OEANGE CEOP-GATHEEma, ETC. 



Picking.— Generally the fruit is not taken from the trees at 

 one picking; the ripe fruit is first picked, thus lightening up 

 the trees. The clean, bright-colored, smooth, fine-shaped, firm 

 oranges always command the best prices. Fruit is handled 

 with care. Growers find it an advantage to stem-cut (clip), 

 rather than to pull the orange, as in pulling there is danger of 

 tearing the skin. The fruit should not be packed fresh from 

 the tree, as when so packed it will heat and sweat in the box at 

 an ordinary temperature, and, as the entire contents of the box 

 become damp, there 

 is great danger of rot 

 and decay. The fruit 

 should be picked into 

 boxes and left in the 

 packing-house three 

 or four days, to allow 

 the rind to shrink 

 and lose its surplus 

 moisture. Unless the 

 weather is very cool 

 oranges go through 

 a natural sweat, in 

 which the surplus 

 moisture escapes and 

 the rind becomes 

 tough and pliable; 

 many unseen imperfections, such as slight bruises, etc., will 

 develop into spots, necessitating a more careful selection of the 

 perfect fruit for market. 



Packing. — Packing oranges has almost been reduced to a 

 fine art, and the following suggestions offered by experienced 

 growers should be carefully followed: 



Use only the standard box, which is ll-^xll-2x26 inches, 

 with a partition in the middle. It is of great importance in 

 securing a perfect pack that the partition and ends of the box 

 are, in their making, correctly placed. The sizes of oranges 

 vary only one eighth of an inch in diameter, and the least irreg- 



OraDge tree properly propped. 



