Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1882 — Orange Wrapping in Florida. [ARTICLE]

Orange Wrapping in Florida.

Last flight, writes of the Atlanta Constitution, our party of todrists went to an “orange wrapping.” A large warehouse belonging to-the Winkinson place was lighted up with candles placed along the walls, and all the “help” of the neighborhood was gathered. In one corner of the room there were huge boxes filled with oranges. They were rigged with haudles at each end, aud i t took two men to bring one of them in. On the opposite side of the room were long table,s, behind which sat Ihe “wrap pers.” Tbe fr,uit was supplied to them by boys, who carried it in bread trays, putting a tray to every three men. Before each man was a package of tissue paper. By a dextrous movement, an ora age was enveloped in a leaf of a paper oy one movement. As the fruit was wrapped it was dropped into another trav, which was carried to the “packers,” who stood before a pile ot empty crates. Each orange was placed in the crate separately, being packed in close rows. A crate holds from 120 to 140 oranges, and sells here for about $3. The oranges are not brought direct from the grove to the packing house, but rest a day or two in the drying house. There they are spread over lattice shelves, where they go through a “sweating” process before they are ready for shipment. The scene in the wrapping house was a pretty one. The golden fruit, piled in rich Drofusion, the men aud boys laughing as they handled it so rapidly,the orderly crates with their tempting contents, a heap of pine apples in an odd corner, filling the room with their exquisite flavor, huge bunches of ba nauas with just a fleck of yellow here aud there amid the green, 'clean looking lemons almost as large as the oranges heaped oft to themselves, great citrons with their royal gold color, groups of boatmen and hunters with their swarthy faces and picturesque attire lending a hand whenever it was needed, a negro with a banjo strumming rude tunes, to which the crowd gave casual accompaniment, the ladies watch curiously and sampling an orange now and then—these were some of the elements that made up the scene —the whole being enlivened with the haste and bustle of getting ready against the next day’s boat, and havin fruit ready to go out with the ship,