OKANGES AND LEMONS IN SICILY. 521 



According to a statistical report in 1880, by Professor Uassella, it sei^ns 

 that the total production of said fruit amounted to as follows, viz: 



Eegiope meridionale Adriatioa 85 OOO 000 



Eegione meridionale Meditorrancii 725,000 000 



Begiooe meridionale Sioilia 1 628 000 000 



Total fruits , 2, 4:«, 000, 000 



Vincent Lamantta, 



Consul. 

 United States Consulate, 



Catania, January 22, 1890. 



SICILY. 



BEPORT BY CONSUL JONES OF MESSINA. 



KEEPING QUALITY OP SICILY LEMONS. 



Properly speaking, no process for curing lemons is employed by the 

 fruit-growers of Messina. That lemons grown in the Messina district 

 keep perfectly for months before being put on the market is due to the 

 great care in gathering, handling, and packing the fruit ; to their keep- 

 ing qualities derived from the nature of soil on which they ate grown, 

 climate, and variety cultivated. 



First. The lemons are gathered with great care, the peduncle beingcut 

 (not broken) off smoothly near to the lemon. The fruit iscarried to the 

 warehouse in baskets lined with cloth, where it is spread out on the 

 floor (if of wood) or on large mats (if the floor be of stone) and allowed 

 to dry from twenty-four to forty-eight hours — even longer if there is 

 sufficient room in warehouse — but never more than six days. If lemons 

 piled, say, 4 feet deep are left for any length of time, the first layers 

 become greatly heated, and soon spoil. The fruit, having been carefully 

 selected, is next wrapped in tissue-paper and packed in boxes. Upon 

 reaching the city warehouses the exporters, before shipping, have the 

 boxes re- inspected ; the least defect in the fruit causes its rejection. 

 When packed for the last time, prior to shipi)ing, care is taken to pack 

 each lemon with.its nose down.. If the boxes are kept any length of 

 time in warehouses, they are opened every three weeks and each lemon 

 carefully examined. A lemon with a blemish, so slight as to be notice- 

 able but to an expert, is thrown out as unfit for exportation. Lemon- 

 juice and essence are extracted from these rejected lemons. The fruit 

 contained in each box must be of the same size; an easy matter, owing 

 to the monthly harvestings. Sizers are unknown here. 



Lemons are gathered from October to August ; they should not weigh 

 less than 80 grams each or average more than from 2 J to 3 inches in 

 diameter when gathered. 



