New-York tribune., 1873-07-29
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Iv.-GRAPE AND FRUIT CULTURE.


NOUS QUANTITIES or PEACHES, APncoTs, AND
CHERRIES ANNUALLY CANNED-ExPERIMESTs IN
RAISING FIGS.
fPRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE !
CHICO, Cal, July al have now seen the
grape grow in almost every part OF California where
wine Is made The temptation to new settler in this
State Is always strong to;plant vineyard and am
moved, by much that have SEEM 10 repeat here pub
licy advice have often gwen TO individuals DO not
mako wine. remember wine cellar, and, eheapH
built, but with substantial and costly casks containing
because the vineyard badly placed mean, thin
fiery wine; and pleasant sunny afternoon. around
these casks group OF tipsy men, hopeless rredeema5ie
beasts with nothing much to do except to encourage
each other TO another glass, and TO wonder at the
Eastern man who would not drink. There were two
three Indians staggering about the door there was
swearing and filthy talk inside; there was a
pretenous tasting OF this that and the other cask by
parcel OF sots who in their hearts would have pre-
ferred forty rod whisky. And little way of there
was a house with women and children In &C. who had
only to look out Of the door this miserable sight Of
husband father friends visitors and hired men, spend
ing the afternoon in getting drunk. do not want you
10 understand that every vineyard is nest OF drunk
ards Tor this Is not true III the Napa and sonoma Val
eys, In the foothills OF the Sierra Anahem and else
where In the Southern country you may find many
cutvating the grape and making wine in all sObernoss
But everywhere, too, and in my experience far
ofener you Will see the proprietor, his his
hired men. bearing the marks OF strong drink; and too
oiten II you come unexpectedly. you will some poor
wretch In the wine-house, who about 4 O'Clock is
maudlin Seeing all this, advise settler in the
State to make wine. He too many risks, with
children and labOrers II he himself escapes For
tunately, no one need make wine, though every
may raisC grapes; for it a fact established by
sufficient and practical trial. that raisns equal in every
respect to the best Malaga, be made in California
from the proper varieties OF grapes and sold for
price which will very handsomely pay the maker, and
with a much smaller investment OF capital and less
skill. The vineyard owners already complain that they
cannot always readily sell their crude wine at paying
prices but the market for carefully made rasins is,
am told by tho principal fruit dealers IN san Francisco,
open and eager. To make wine requires uncommon
skill and care, and TO keep 1t that age shall give it
that merit which commands a really good price de-
mands considerable capital in the necessary outlay for
casks While the skiful wine-maker undoubtedly gets
large profit his vines, it begins to be here that
there Is Oyer-suppy OF poorly made wine.
PROCESS OF RAIsIN-MAKING.
Bot industrious person who has the right kind Of
grapes can make raisns and raisn- making which IS
months had still very uncertain future in this
State, may safely be called OF the established
and most promising industries here. Last ate
excellent ralsns in Los Angeles, and tOerabe IN
Vsalia but they sell very commonly In the shops what
hut damp. sticky dsagreeabe things, good in
puddiugs This year. however, have seen in several
places cood rans aud the head OF the largest
fruit importing house in san Francisco told me, the
other day that rasin maker last FAN sold the whole
Of his crop there at 81 box OF 25 pounds, Maagas Of
the quality bringing at tho time but 81 3i
There is market for all wellmade raislns that be
produced III the State he sad and they are preferred
the foreign product. At Folsom, Mr. Bugby told
no Ind mad Ia nj raj aud that
he was satisfied with the pecuniary return and judge
from the testimony of different persons that at
cents pound rasns will pay the farmer very we'll
The Malaga and tho White Muscat the grapes which
appear make the best raisns, Nobody has yet
tried the secdess sultana, which, however bears well
here, and would make, l should think, excellent
cooking raisin.
For making raisins they wait until the grape fully
ripe, and then carefully cut off the punches and lay
either hard clay floor formed IN the open air,
or on brown paper the vine They do
not trim ont poor grapes the bunches because,
they assert there none; but suspect this will have
TO be done for the very finest rasins such would
tempt reluctant buyer The bunches require from Is
to "a days OF exposure in the to be cured During
that time they are gently turned from time TO time. and
such as are earliest cured removed TO raiin
house. This is fitted with shelves, which the rasns
are laid about foot thick and here they allowed to
sweat little If they eat too much the sugar can
dies the outside and this deerOrates the quality OF
the raisin object keep the bloom the ber
ries They kept the rasin house, believe. five
six weeks when they are dry enough to box. II is
yet customary to put them in 9pound boxes. but no
doubt more experience is gained farmers Will con
tIve other parcels. Chinese do all the work in raisin
making, end are paid 81 day, they supplying them
selves with food. There is rain during the rasin
making season. and consequently the whole outdoor
work may be done safely well rs cheapy.
EXPERIMENTS IN THE CULTURE OF PIGS.
Enormous quantities OF fruit put up in tin
cans in this State and you will be surprised perhaps
as the other dayto hear Of an orchard Of peach
and apricot trees which bears this year its first full
crop ond for 100 acres Of which the owners have
ccved $4,000 cash. gold, selling tho fruit the trees
without risk Of ripenng or trouble Of picking. Yet
peaches and aprcots the most profitable fruits
in this State for the cherry-the delicious cherries
in the world grow here-is worth even more; and sus
meet that the few farmers who have orchards OF pums
and carefully dry tho fruit make much money as the
cherry owners. There has sprung up very lively de-
mand for California dried plums. They bring from 20
TO cents per pound at wholesale III San Francisco and
high 30 cents for tue best quality; and am
told that last season a considerable quantity was
shipped Eastward, and sold at handsome profit in
New-York. The plum bears heavily and con-
stanty north OF Sacramento, and does not
suffer from the curcuho and the dried
fruit is delicious and wholesome. Some day the farmers
who are now experimenting with fes will, 1 do not
doubt produce also marketable dried hg The tree
fourishes almost all parts of the State Usually 1t
bears two and often three crops year, and 1t
into noble and stately 80 far, the preparation Of
dried figs has not been successful here. In the fruit
stores you see abundance OF figs, but they are generally
brown OF black in color. and not tempting to the sight,
though palatabe enough am told that when Smyrna
figs sell for 90 80 cents per pound California figs bling
but from to 10 cents. The tree comes into full bearing
where its location is favorable, IN its third or fourth
year and ought to yield then about 60 pounds OF dried
figs am told suspect the cost Of labor will control
the drying of figs for they must be picked by hand If
they fall 10 the ground they are easily bruised aud the
bruised part They dried In the shade and
on straw which lets the air get TO every part lrrga
ao not good after the treo bears as the figs do not
dry so readily Birds and ants are fond OF the frult