IN THE CITRUS INDUSTRY 37 



for a few days. Lemons color naturally in the process 

 known as "curing" if sufficient time is allowed, but if it is 

 desired to rush them to the market they are sweated. The 

 fruit is then wrapped by hand in tissue and packed accord- 

 ing to grade and size in the packing boxes that can be seen 

 at any time in front of the fruit and grocery stores. An 

 up to date packing house presents an interesting and compli- 

 cated spectacle. It is provided with expensive and elaborate 

 power machinery and in efficiency could well compare with 

 a modem factory. 



From the foregoing description it is evident that the 

 citrus industry is far more complex than most other agri- 

 cultural enterprises. It is therefore to be expected that the 

 cost by the acre of producing oranges or lemons will far 

 exceed those for most other crops. The Citrus Protective 

 League has collected a mass of data relating to costs of 

 producing both oranges and lemons. These investigations 

 followed scientifically constructed schedules and covered a 

 wide territory, and the results are by far the most trust- 

 worthy obtainable. Cultural costs of materials and labor 

 for the production of oranges and of lemons were collected 

 by the League in 1910. 



In examination of the following table, adapted from the 

 League's findings for oranges, it must be remembered that 

 each item of cost does not appear in the expense account 

 of every ranch. For example, if fumigation appears, spray- 

 ing will very likely be absent, etc. Therefore, adding the' 

 column of average costs would by no means represent the 

 average total acre cost of producing oranges. Since, as 

 a rule, only the best growers keep accurate and detailed 

 cost accounts, and since the best growers are usually those 

 who have adopted the most intensive systems of culture, 

 it is probable that the following figures on cost represent 

 a somewhat higher level than would be true for the industry 



