FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
41 
morning, an average of ten to the box that 
were already showing signs of immediate 
decay. To all outward appearance, the 
fruit was perfect—but there was a radical 
defect in production that made it impossi¬ 
ble to get it to market in good shape—even 
by the most painstaking care in handling. 
I also call to mind that a few years ago 
—in the neighborhood where my own 
grove is located, that the fruit “creased” 
so badly that a large percent was lost. The 
fruit now produced in both the localities 
referred to, has been improved by proper 
fertilizing, drainage and cultivation, so 
that no difficulty is experienced in putting 
it into market. Of course when a grove 
is already planted and in bearing, these 
precautions cannot be taken in advance; 
but, even then, much Can be done to re¬ 
move the evil, by looking well to the 
cause; and, as far as possible, remedy the 
natural defects in the soil; so as to bring 
the fruit into the packing house in a pos¬ 
sible condition to be benefited by good 
packing. In this connection I wish to call 
your attention, to the fact that there is a 
promising outlook for the successful culti¬ 
vation of the lemon in Florida. We have 
all the congenial environments for this 
valuable citrus fruit, that can be found in 
any country now producing the lemon 
commercially. 
My own experiments in its growth— 
while not sufficiently extensive to make a 
hard-and-fast opinion expedient; yet, I 
have produced some samples of this fruit 
that are, to say the least, very encourag¬ 
ing. It will be remembered that in Cali¬ 
fornia the early efforts to cultivate the 
lemon promised to be a total failure—not 
because the natural conditions zverc zmnt- 
ing, but simply because the growers there 
did not know how. 
The present value of the lemon groves, 
now in that State, shows conclusively that 
it pays to learn how; to so combine the 
natural advantages which we have in 
abundance with the habits, of this fruit, 
in order to> make its cultivation here very 
profitable. I believe it will be as easy for 
us to succeed with the lemon in the near 
future, as it has been to succeed with the 
grapefruit in the recent past. It may, 
perhaps, be properly said that the keynote 
to successful packing and shipping may 
simply be in “knowing how.” We cer¬ 
tainly have much yet to learn as well as 
considerable to unlearn. We are fast learn¬ 
ing the fundamental principles of culti¬ 
vation, and are making rapid strides in 
producing the quality of fruit that can 
be successfully put into profitable mar¬ 
kets ; and, it only remains for us to learn 
the detail of the most perfect method in 
harvesting and packing. Just in this con¬ 
nection I wish to say that want of proper 
sanitation in harvesting, is a matter that 
we are too apt to overlook—especially 
when we consider the class of labor we 
are compelled to employ. 
Who has not seen the evidence of this 
in the eggplant, exposed for sale in our 
own home markets; where the print of ev¬ 
ery finger that touched the fruit in hand¬ 
ling, was marked by a decayed spot, due 
to the perspiration of the ungloved hand 
of the employes, in harvesting, for 'home 
use. Is it not possible that the same cause 
contributes to the breaking down of the 
citrus fruits in transit? Some of our thin 
rind fruit may be as susceptible to injury 
from this cause, as the smooth rind of the 
eggplant. 
