196 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
one and thirty hundredths (1.30) per 
cent, by weight of total acid, determined 
as crystalized citric acid. 
SELECTION OF SAMPLE. 
Two samples of twelve average or¬ 
anges each, fairly representative of the 
fruit to be tested, should be selected by 
the inspector in the presence of the per¬ 
son in charge. One sample should be 
sealed and set aside, and the field test ap¬ 
plied to the other. In case the person in 
charge should appeal from the result of 
the field test, as applied by the inspector, 
the duplicate sealed sample should be 
packed, sealed, and signed by the inspec¬ 
tor, in the presence of the person in 
charge and two witnesses. The person 
in charge of the two witnesses shall 
witness the package by signing their 
names after that of the inspector. 
The package of oranges shall then be 
sent by parcel post or prepaid express to 
the Division of Chemistry, of the Flori¬ 
da Department of Agriculture, at Talla¬ 
hassee. 
FIELD TEST. 
Apparatus and Chemicals. —One two- 
quart granite-ware cup. 
One wooden lemon-squeezer. 
Cheese cloth strainers, 18 inches 
square. 
One white porcelain tea-cup. 
One pocket knife. 
One pipette, 25 cc. 
One eight-ounce graduated bottle. 
One box Farrington Alkaline tablets. 
Preparation of Alkaline Solution .— 
Place 100 of the Farrington alkaline tab¬ 
lets in an eight-ounce graduated bottle, 
fill up to eight-ounce mark with pure dis¬ 
tilled or rain water, stopper well, and 
shake frequently for at least three hours 
before using solution. The solution will 
have a pink color with a white sediment. 
Method. —Peel twelve oranges select¬ 
ed as directed, cut in half across seg¬ 
ments, squeeze the halves with the lemon- 
squeezer into the granite-ware cup 
through a piece of cheese cloth placed 
over it. Squeezg out the cheese cloth 
gently and throw away. Then stir the 
juice in the cup well but gently. Rinse 
the pipette with the alkaline solution, 
empty it, then fill to mark with the alka¬ 
line solution and empty into tea-cup. 
Then rinse the pipette with the orange 
juice, and empty, fill to mark with or¬ 
ange juice, and while revolving the tea¬ 
cup let the orange juice run slow¬ 
ly from the pipette into the tea-cup. Mix 
the orange juice and alkaline solution 
thoroughly. 
If the orange is immature and con¬ 
tains more than 1.30 per cent . of acid the 
mixture in the tea-cup will be more or 
less deeply orange colored. 
If the orange is mature and contains 
more than 1.30 per cent, of acid the mix¬ 
ture in the cup will be more or less pink 
in color. 
In the following table are given the 
samples of oranges that analyzed less 
than 1.30 per cent, of citric acid by the 
Division of Chemistrv last season. Un- 
der the heading of “Grower 'and Adi- 
dress” is given the name and address of 
the person from whom the oranges were 
received, but in some cases they were 
