HARVESTING AND CURING 291 



the limes should not number more than 200 trees to the acre. 

 This will mean that the trees should be set about 12 to 18 

 feet apart. The larger growing \'arieties are usually planted 

 farther apart. Usuall>' about 100 trees to the acre is the 

 proper number, which means the trees must stand in the 

 neighborhood of 18 by 24 feet apart. 



Harvesting and Curing. — ^The citrus fruits are harvested 

 throughout the year. There is considerable difference 

 observed in the picking and the packing of the different 

 citrus fruits. Some fruits are picked while they are green 

 and allowed to cure before they are shipped, while others 

 are picked as soon as they are ripe and shipped at once. 

 All citrus fruits must be handled with care, and precaution 

 taken to see that thorns do not fall into the picking vessel. 

 Such thorns or sharp twigs will scratch the skin of the fruit 

 and damage it. 



In picking citrus fruit some precaution should be taken 

 to see that no imperfect specimens are included in the 

 package. The fruit must be separated from the tree by 

 means of a clipper which cuts the stem off close to the fruit. 

 The picked fruit should be placed in baskets or crates. 

 The fruit should be taken to the packing house with the 

 greatest care and permitted to cure before it is fit to pack 

 for shipment. After the fruit has been picked for some 

 time the skin will toughen and the fruit will shrink, and 

 then it can be handled with less danger of being injured. 

 The curing time varies with the different citrus fruits and 

 ranges from several days for the orange to several weeks for 

 the lemon. After the fruit has cured properly it is graded 

 and packed. 



The oranges are harvested throughout the year. The 

 "\'alencia are the summer oranges and they are harvested 

 from June to November, while the Xa^•el or winter oranges 

 are picked from November to INIay. The season for both 

 oranges somewhat overlap. 



The oranges should be picked with a great deal of care 

 so that all bruises or cuts will be a^'oided on the skin. Any 

 abrasion of the skin admits the germs of decay and the 

 fruit is ruined, 



