Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-08-21
How RaisIns are Prepared in CaIifor
fOrnfa.

The usual time for pruning raisin vines
is in December and january, says a Los
Angeles (Cal. letter. IL NAV be done at
any time after the leaves fall and before
the buds start A second or summer
pruning is practised by some. Remoy-
ing too many of he leaves exposes the
stump. with short spurs, insures a better
development of the fruit than does an
ampler growth Of the vine Just before
the buds start the ground is well
plowed, and then irrigated heavily. If
a second irrigation can be avoided, the
better; If not, there should be given the
vines just enough water to ripen the
fruit. When the berries take on clear,
white amber color, as they do between
the first and middle Of September they
are at maturity. To make frst-class
raisins they must be fully ripe.
The picking Of the grapes is done by
Chinese and Indians. Some pick by the
day, others by the tray. The wages vary
from 81. 30 to $2per day. Each picker
cuts the fruit from two rows of vines as
he proceeds. The punches are placed
upon trays - wooden - holding twenty
pounds each and set at intervals between
the rows Great care must be taken not
TO destroy the bloom with the hands, as
that detracts from the appearance of the
raisins. Three trays, twenty pounds each,
will make twenty pounds Of raisins. The
berries shrink about two thirds in drying.
With favorable weather raisins will cure In
about fourteen days. When showers fall
the trays are stacked one above another,
with the sides well protected. In this
position the fruit will stand heavy rain
without detriment. 1t has been learned
that to incline the trays to the sun has
tens the evaporation. When about half
dry the fruit is turned in body. This
step requires dexterity An empty tray
is inverted upon a full one. Four men
then turn both trays simultaneously, the
full tray becoming the empty one.
Frequently, during the process of dry
ing. the trays are left on the ground be-
tween the rows. Sometimes they are dis
posed in an open space for the full rays
Of the sun and the sweep of warm air.
Mr.. Backus arranges his trays around the
margin of his vineyard. An early Gus
tom was to cure the grapes on the ground
itself, turning the punches by hand.
Later. they were laid upon paper, then
upon boards, then upon frames made of
lath. Trays are very modern inven-
ton.
The berries not being of uniform size,
it will be readily understood that they
cannot dry evenly. But before packing
the moisture must be equally diffuscd, the
fragile stems must be made pliable, that
the punches be not broken In packing,
and the aroma of the raisins must be de-
veloped To accomplish this the trays
are placed for few days in sweat-boxes,
several trays in each box The fruit is
then in fine condition for the ultimate
step-packing. Before this is taken the
raisins are assorted into classes, called
''layersyo London lavers," and "loose
Muscatels."
After the distribution into classes the
raisins are weighed into parcels of five
pounds each The packer puts these into
mold and places them in a lever press
until they are suitably compact. Then
he drops them, wrapped in fine white
paper into the box in which they are TO go
to market. Boxes are graoed into sizes,
holding two and a half, five, ten,. and
whole boxes. They contain four 9. the
five-pound packages. In the smaller
boxes the LAYERS are separated by paper.
California raisin- makers are learning
that vines allowed to overbear produce
an inferior quality of raisins. larger
size and higher flavor are obtained when
they mature only limited number Of
clusters. The man who took the pre-
MUM at the Centennial exposition at
Philadelphia, vineyardist of Malaga,
does not permit his vines to exceed two
pounds of grapes each. His best raisins
sell for So per box in Malaga. His 81
grape is the quality so largely imported
into the United States, and is said to be
equal to the average California raisin.
The inference is plain. Some fifty or
sixty varieties of table grapes of large
size and Of fine flavor are grown on this
coast. -LOs angeles (Cal.) Letter TO Che
cdg0 Times.