I spent twenty-three years in Modesto, California in the midst of the famous San Joaquin valley. This "big valley" is noted for its production of fruit and nuts; peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, and citrus fruits plus walnuts and almonds are grown in such abundance as to surpass all other areas in the world. Not only the growing, but the harvesting, packing, and shipping of the products is a multi-million dollar industry. Most of the towns and cities of the region have packing facilities where the fruit is prepared for shipping. The fruit is brought into these open-air packing sheds on trucks loaded with large field lugs of 20-25 lbs. of fruit. These boxes are emptied into large bins and from these the fruit is transferred onto a long conveyer belt for sorting. The sorters who line both sides of the belt inspect and discard fruit that is not suitable for packing and shipping. The fruit that is discarded may be too large, or too small, or too ripe, or too green. This discarded fruit is placed into large bins or field lugs for sale to the locals at a very reduced price. But, the fruit that is shipped to eastern markets must be only "grade-A fruit."
Most fruit trees are not planted from seed but are budded or grafted from another tree. Thus, one is assured of certain desirable qualities that would be uncertain if obtained from seed. The bud is grafted onto what is called root stock. One good example of this is the case of the navel orange, which has no seeds, so, it is not possible to plant a navel orange seed. In 1870 Luther and Eliza Tiffets moved from Maine to Riverside, California and planted three navel orange trees obtained from Brazil. Only two trees survived, but they produced beautiful, sweet, seedless oranges. Soon word spread throughout the area of the delicious new seedless orange, and demand became so great that the Tiffetses began selling budstock at $5 a bud. Today, visitors can still see the parent navel orange tree, Mother Navel, near Palm and Magnolia Avenues, Riverside, California. The tree has been designated California State Historical Landmark Number 20, and is carefully protected.
The navel orange is a prime example of a "grade-A fruit", one that is desired and enjoyed by countless thousands around the world, and to think that it all started from just one tree. We are told in Scripture that we should be like that, spreading our influence and fragrance abroad. The fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22,23, NIV) are indeed "grade-A fruit."
