Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-01-20
TINE GREAT GRAPE lnrrR1sr.
The Raisin and Wine Grape. and
Their Road to Success : Both
Must Pass Through Trial Before
Success is Assured-The Facts
in the Case.

Ahoh nooo W ouSSooo = DUH
Must Pass Through Trial Before
Success is Assured-The Facts
in the Case.
The weekly organ of the Prohibition
party attacks the grape question with
zeal far beyond all knowledge, and at
tempts to show how much the people
lost last year by raising wine grapes
instead of raisins. That journal as
serts that layer raisins are worth 50 per
box, and extra layers $3.50 per box,
which leaves large profit to the raisin
maker.
This would be good IL there were
any truth in it. Riverside raisin grow
ers in large numbers have not yet got
the money for raisins that they. shipped
to San Francisco year ago, and no
San Francisco commission house will
pay the freight and advance 81 per box
on them and hold for sale. In one in
stance one house did agree to advance
81 per box on best raisins, and paid that
on one car load, but when he got a
second carload into his hands refused
to pay any advance on that, and kept
both carloads to protect himself for an
advance on one, so that on the two car
loads the owner has got an advance Of
so cents per box, which will not pay
him for the boxes and picking, curing
and packing and care OF vineyard,
which amounts to about 81 per box for
the selected extra layers.
In conversation with Mr.. Hixon
yesterday, of the well known house of
Hixon, Jusii & Co., that gentleman
stated that our layer raisins would not
sell at sl50 in San Francisco. His
house would be glad to sell warehouse
full at that price. So it appears there
|, deadlock in the market for raisins
on the coast. and distant markets must
he found, and the trade nourished and
built up by agents appointed for that
work. This will cost something and
will reduce the profit on rsisin culture.
The California wine trade had to so
through similar period Of experiment.
As soon as large amount Of wine was
made, about six years ago, the "bottom
dropped out Of the market. aud special
agents at great expense went to the
central and Eastern cities and cultivated
trade, till the people were induced to
buy at low prices. at first. our pure
wines instead Of high priced foreign
wines. Afterwards, when the con
sumers found that the wines were good,
they purchased freely at good prices,
and the wine trade became established,
profitable and strong.
The raisin trade will have to pass
through the same ordeal before it be-
comes profitable. 1t is now in the
crucible, and it will cost labor and money
and brains to bring it out in profitable
and proud position. 1t can and must be
done, but who will do it? The raisin
trade will be great and profitable in
dustry; but it is false to tell people that
at the present time they can do better
in making raisins than in selling their
grapes tor wine-making. Last fall the
grape-growers about Los Angeles raised
from four tons to ten tons per acre, and
sold the same at $50 per ton, making
profit Of not less than 500 cash down
per acre, with no expense of store houses
for sweating and packing; no hauling to
q dryer when the rains descended on
half dried crop; no expenses for boxes
and nails, and turning and sorting, and
sweating and packing.
1t is safe to state that the grape-grow-
ers Of Los Angeles, who sold their grapes
last fall for $40 per ton, cash, made more
money per acre net profit than the av-
ersge raisin-grower Of Riverside. 1t is
true that some growers who had extra
large layers, and had some ''friend at
court" to dispose of their product OBJ
tanned fancy prices in retail way. but
these were picked lots, of which a vine
yard only produces fraction, while the
rest are ordinary.
The majority of raisin makers do not
get such prices all tie way through, and
the brilliant success of few must not
be taken as guide for all who enter the
business,
The orange trade was similarly de-
pressed last year and robust effort was
made by many orchardists, by going
east at great expense. to sell their crop.
They were generally successful, and
have established . place for their next
crop. Raisin growers must be particu-
lar about the quality and grading Of
their raisins and have an agent in New
Orleans, st. Louis, Louisville, Indian
apolis, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis,
Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buf-
falo, Boston. Philadelphia and New
York.
The Western Ware which taboos wine
grapes and glori6es raisin grapes, might
learu something by going to Riverside
and finding out how many of the last
crop had been turned into cash. If the
conductors Of the Western Waee think
raisins are worth 81 to $3.50 per box
they can lay in stock at good margin
and hold for q rise.
The HERALD desires to see all branches
of grape growing thrive, and the raisin
and wine grape both be profitable, and
dwell in harmony; and to that end will
give all obtainable Information on both
sides, but cannot see an attempt made to
prevent people from planting wine grapes,
by false representations of the
fabulous profits Of raisin grow