44 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
reach its destination sound the fault lies 
with the transportation companies and not 
with us; when, if the truth were known 
fully one-fourth of our oranges wtere 
either punctured by the clippers, scratched 
by the fingernails or bruised by dropping, 
jamming against ladders, pouring into 
field boxes, the rough treatment by team¬ 
sters and emptying and piling into hop¬ 
pers and falling from the sizers into the 
bins.” This from Dr. Inman. 
It is an inconsistency not easily ex¬ 
plained why we expend so much labor 
and money in the production of a crop 
which receives such meagre attention in 
its preparation for market as do our cit¬ 
rus fruits. 
We have, no doubt, sometimes ques¬ 
tioned the inherent quality of our oranges 
to “stand up” but are not the causes of de¬ 
cay—at least in great measure—our own 
lack of careful, intelligent, systematic 
work. 
Weather conditions, when fruit is pick¬ 
ed, must be right. This, I regard as one of 
the important factors in successful ship¬ 
ping. Oranges should not be picked when 
the fruit hanging on the trees shows de¬ 
cay to any considerable extent, even when 
split or thorned. It is apt to be very in¬ 
convenient to lay off the hands at such a 
time but if the work is persisted in the 
results are pretty sure to be very unsatis¬ 
factory. Simple wetness, as from dew, is 
not important but if the degree of humid¬ 
ity is such that the decay of the fruit on 
the trees is very noticeable, decay of the 
packed fruit, even where care is otherwise 
used, is apt to result. 
The Somer-Hart clippers I like better 
than any dthers that I have used. They 
cut a clean, short stem and with ordinary 
care, clipper-cutting and scratching is 
avoided. 
As a receptacle for the picked fruit 
the sack should be avoided. The basket 
or can, with a perfectly smooth surface 
inside is very much safer, avoiding the 
pressure of the body of the workman, 
thorning and bruising. 
The grove box should be carefully 
made, every edge which can come into 
contact with the fruit being rounded and 
sandpapered. Its capacity should not 
much exceed three pecks, and the top 
slat being two inches below the top of 
the end, which we make in panel. The 
willow splint baskets, used by grocers, 
make a very desirable field crate, afford¬ 
ing excellent ventilation and being light 
to handle. 
In delivering the fruit to the washer or 
brushing machine it should not be piled 
more than two deep in the hopper—better 
only one layer. In emptying the field 
crate a canvas cover should be drawn 
over the top, one edge being fastened to 
the bottom of the hopper, and the fruit 
can then be poured out without bumping 
and bruising. 
Cleaning fruit adds to its attractive¬ 
ness and quite possibly to its keeping 
quality, if done with proper care. There 
must be no abrasion of the skin nor rup¬ 
turing of the cells from pressure. This, 
of course, would be fatal. 
Sorting is one of the most important 
packing house operations and should have 
the greatest care. Cull fruit should never 
pass the sorter. It would be extremely 
desirable if the different grades could be 
so standardized that it would not be a 
matter of mere whim or individual opin¬ 
ion as to what constitutes a “fancv” 
