THE LEMON IN CALIFORNIA TREATMENT. 201 



the " Semi-Baronio System." This consists mainly of taking out 

 the center of large trees, allowing the ingress of air and light, 

 but otherwise without any scientific principle. The growth at 

 the top and on the outside is cut back, as in the rounding 

 system of old. The branches put forth numerous shoots, which 

 are again shortened the season following, and so the work 

 goes on. 



TREATMENT OF THE LEMON. 



The systems of processing the lemon for market are numerous, 

 but in all the main objects are to reduce the thickness of the 

 rind, to close up the pores of the skin in a natural way, so as 

 to render the texture smooth and velvety to the touch, while 

 the lemon remains firm and solid, to increase its juiciness, 

 and to hold the fruit in that condition to supply the market 

 when it is at its best. 



J. "W. Freeman, of Ontario, gives the following suggestions 

 in handling and processing lemons, derived from the experience 

 of years of processing and marketing lemons by the Ontario 

 Exchange: 



" The question that is now to the front in the lemon industry 

 is what might properly be termed lemon-holding. Those most 

 familiar with the business have, for some time, been convinced 

 that some way should be devised for taking the surplus fruit 

 off the winter market, and holding it for the summer trade. 

 Indeed, the life of the industry seemed to depend upon the possi- 

 bility of that being successfully done. With that end in view 

 a few of our growers, beginning with the November pick, held 

 their winte'- lemons until May, .Tune, and -July, of the season 

 of 1896-97, securing satisfactory results as to keeping qualities 

 and prices. Encouraged by the success of these, some eighty of 

 our members pursued the same plan the following season, with 

 like results, excepting that some of the fruit was marketed in 

 August, a month later than the year before. It would be only 

 fair to say that success has not been uniform in each case, but 

 it has been in proportion to the care taken and the facilities for 

 storing the fruit. An expensive house is not necessary, indeed 

 almost any place will do in winter; but appliances for keeping 

 a low, even temperature are necessary in summer, and doubt- 

 less are desirable in winter as well. A fairly tight box with 



