THE CULTIVATION OF CITRUS FRUITS IN THE WEST INDIES. 441 



netting into which the fruit falls when cut ; it should then be removed to 

 padded baskets — baskets in which a sack has been placed will answer 

 the purpose. Great care must be exercised in the gathering of the 

 fruits. All that fall to the ground must be discarded. The slightest 

 rough handling at the time of gathering will, in all probability, cause 

 bruising, which would not, unfortunately, manifest itself for several days 

 afterwards. The slightest bruising of a fruit will lead to decay, and 

 should such a fruit be packed with sound ones it will, in every probability, 

 mean the loss of the entire box of fruit. Fruit should therefore be 

 handled as little as possible and more carefully than eggs. 



Citrus fruits should only be gathered on a fine dry day, and must not 

 in any circumstances be packed as soon as gathered. They should be 

 laid out in single layers in drying trays in a cool airy shed, to allow of the 

 evaporation of the surplus moisture from the rind. The rind will 

 shrink, and, in consequence, there is little further danger of bruising if 

 ordinary care be taken. The fruit is then in a suitable condition to 

 withstand the pressure of the packing without damage. 



Oranges should be picked when quite mature and upon the appear- 

 ance of the first tinge of yellow. If gathered before they are quite full 

 they will in all probability shrivel, and arrive at their destination in 

 a green-yellowish state ; such a colour greatly diminishes the pecuniary 

 return. The rule to be observed in gathering is to give the oranges just 

 sufficient time to colour thoroughly by the time they reach the market. 



Lemons require different treatment from oranges. They should be cut 

 when from 2 to 2^ inches in diameter and while still green. They will 

 then be quite hard, and possess a fairly thick rind. The market demands 

 an average-sized fruit, ranging from 2o0 to 300 to the box, and possessing 

 a thin rind and an abundance of juice. Such qualities are obtained by 

 carefully curing the fruit. This process reduces the thickness of the rind, 

 making it tough and less liable to bruise, and at the same time increases 

 the juiciness of the fruit. 



When gathered the fruit should be carefully washed to remove any 

 dirt and to improve its external appearance. It should then be laid aside 

 for a few days to partially quail, and then be placed in boxes lined with 

 paper and stacked in a darkened portion of the fruit room. Each box of 

 fruit should be sorted at intervals of three or four weeks, at which time 

 any unsound fruit should be removed. In about eight weeks the fruit 

 should have developed the familiar pale straw colour, and be in a market- 

 able condition. If the curing has been carefully carried out and good 

 storage is given, with an occasional sorting for unsound fruit, lemons can 

 be kept for many months and shipped when the market is favourable. 

 There is very little demand for the larger-sized lemons, so the fruit should 

 not be left on the trees to colour. 



Grape-fruit and Shaddock require about the same length of time for 

 quailing as the orange. They should be allowed to ripen before being 

 gathered, and should then be of a pale straw colour. They will remain 

 naturally on the tree a long time after they are ripe without any apparent 

 deterioration. 



Citron. — The fruit is commercially valuable only for its thick rind 

 from which is prepared " candied " or " preserved peel." The fruit should 



