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Or one of them, depending on who you ask.
Amazingly, this means, that despite winter having officially arrived, days will now begin to lengthen.
This is good.
Been having a lot of fun researching the reason for placing oranges in the toes of Christmas stockings.
Very interesting. We always got oranges for Christmas when we were kids, great big things full of seeds that were hard for little hands to peel. We loved them anyhow, and I am still fond today.
elliek, can you help me with anything on how citrus greening has affected your family? I know you have mentioned it a few times, but I can't find the comments. Trying to tie oranges in Christmas stockings to the financial contribution of the citrus industry to the national economy. Thanks.
"The Glass Orange Ornament
ReplyDelete- Oranges have always been considered a very special treat at Christmas time. Costly and scarce during the winter months many years ago, oranges were highly appreciated and were quite a delicacy. Santa would often leave on of these sweet fruits in the toe of a stocking of good little boys and girls as a delightful reward. Oranges were among the first figural glass ornaments produced." ~http://xmasdays.com/store/legends.html
I'm at work and can't sign in, but it's me! June (Aging Gratefully)
I grew up in Ohio and remember Christmas was about the only time we had oranges. Now the thing with greening, it is a small insect that bores into the tree and sucks the life out of it. There is no spray or other treatment that can kill the insect or control its spread. The trees have to be pushed out roots and all and burned. A lot of grove owners here are just giving up and trying other crops. Tomatoes are a big crop here and there are two crops a year. My son in law has pushed out about four to five thousand trees so far, he is planting new small trees hoping they will find a treatment for the greening soon, labs have worked about five years now looking for that right spray or treatment. Some of the trees he pushed out were about thirty years old and bearing full crops.It will take the small trees about six or seven years to start producing a crop. My son in law has a sod business also so that is a big business in Florida, he is working it a bit harder to make up for some of the loss. Some people have tried peaches but they turn out small and need lots of expence getting started in the business. We were talking last week with my SIL and another grove owner and they said some owners were just shutting down the groves and did not know where they would go next,maybe start selling off the land, some are spraying extra heavy in hopes they can save trees until an answer is found.Some of these groves have been in families for years, my SIL is sixth generation for his grove. This greening is in all states that have citrus I have been told so it will affect prices for next years crop.Maybe this will tell you what you want, if not just asks me the questions you have and I will asks my SIL. we will be having dinner with him and other ownere this week.
ReplyDeleteRuth, thanks! I had never heard of that, but it is information I will use. Wonderful....and have a Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteEllie, oh, thank you so, so much. I was hoping you would see my request. Deadline is this morning and this is exactly what I hoped for. I won't quote you directly, but I wanted to have a bit of what the bug means to the people hoping to grow fruit. Thank you again!
I think this is just an interesting fact about oranges, they will not turn orange unless we have some cooler nights, other wise they would ripen but stay green. I do check your blog every day because I find it so interesting and baby pictures are a bonus. Merry Christman to you and the family.
ReplyDeleteThis was a most interesting post, yours and the answers. We always had oranges at Christmas also...a true luxury for my parents to give us.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas my farming friends in New York!
Linda
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