Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-26
miscellaneous.
Raisin Making.
THE OPERATION AS CONDUCTED BY THE
LARGEST CALIFORNIA PACKERS.

LARGEST CALIFOKNIA TACAEhS.
The grapes are purchased on the vines.
some BY actual weight, others by estimat-
ing the crop from weighing the product
of every tenth vine. Good judges can
make pretty close guess at the number
OF tons on an acre OF vines, and years OF
practice enable the buyer to tell very near
ly not only the amount, but the quality
of the raisins to be made from the vines
which grow in different soils. While the
lower and damper lands bring the largest
crops and perhaps the largest berries, the
dry lands give much larger percentage
of sugar, and consequently finer raisin.
1t is claimed that the best grade of orange
raisins will this year equal any in tine mar
ket. and it is confidently expected that our
product will gain very enviable name
and footing in the East this year. Unusu-
al care is being taken to pack and grade
in manner that will reflect credit on
Oranges products.and the result will GER
tainly be a strong demand in the future.
The grapes are picked by crews of men
under experienced foremen, and are placed
in trays or wooden frames. wi ich are piled
on top of each other in wagons and taken
to the scales. weighed, and then taken to
the drying grounds. These consist of
about 60 acres of land, smoothed and
cleaned like brick yard, and the
grapes are spread out in long rows
to dry in the sun. Ten days or
two weeks from the "laying down" is
usually about the time required to dry
them, and then those thoroughly cured
are taken up and put into the sweat boxes.
htr third M uat r,roA and
these are turned over and placed in mar
row rows until the action of Old Sol has
made them ready. The enormous quanti-
ty of grapes handled by one firm can be
estimated when it is known that at one
time this 60-acre plot was covered. and
portion of 1t had been covered second
time. Teams are continually coming and
going, and small army of men are en-
ployed to take care of the grapes and keep
the teams on the move Many women
and girls are also employed picking up
the loose raisins which have fallen from
the stems. The trays are of number and
capacity to hold 300 tons of grapes An
other thing which catches the eye at the
drying grounds is the preparation made
for possible rains. in the shape of rolls of
oiled paper stacked up in all directions.
This paper is in sheets about feet in
width and l6 feet long, prepared to with
stand rain by dipping it in boiled oil. Two
carloads of paper and so barrels of oil
have been used this season, but as yet 1t
has not been found necessary to use the
paper.
When properly dried the grapes are
taken up and put into sweat boxes, proba-
bly, Is or 100 pounds TO the box, hauled to
the packing-house, where they are piled
from floor to ceiling in the large front room.
They are left here some ten DAYS, and
passed through sweating process, the
object being to equalize the moisture con
tanned in them. When placed in boxes
some are much dryer than others, but
when ready for the packer the intention is
to make them, as nearly as possible, equal
and uniform in that regard. Four layers
are placed in box, and each layer is
weighed by the packer. and the whole
must make exactly the 20pounds required.
When a box is filed the packer takes it to
the scales near the door. presided over by
an expert in the business, who carefully
weighs and examines it, and if all right
it is carried to the next room, where it IS
nailed up and the corners smoothed off.
and it ia ready for shipment. Particular
care is exercised in grading and weighing
About 1875 men are employed in and about
the packing house, and "a steady stream
of boxes" is kept going around the circle.
We were informed that about | 800 boxes
a day were being turned out, or three
carloads every two days.
The most of the packers are Cinnamon,
and as usual they soon become very ex-
pert at the business, putting up from 10
to II boxes day. White men fill all the
responsible stations,i it evidently being con-
sidered necessary to keep close and Wig
liant watch over the .'heathen" to keep
him from resorting to ways that are
dark" Occasionally box goes back to
the packer and is upset on his table as
gentle reminder that first-class work must
be done all the time.
The box lids are branded by powerful
cylinder press run by horse power, and it
is rather amusing to printer to watch the
modus operandi of this coarse grained
printing. Checks are used in every de-
partment, packer receiving check for
each box delivered at the scales. The
whole business seems to be systematized
thoroughly, and moves along like clock
work. The work promises to last until
Christmas or New Years, before the whole
crop is disposed of, but the favorable
weather which the raisn makers have
been blessed with, will facilitate their OPP
erations, and If it continues for another
month, they will have the most of the
work done.-Orange (Cal) Tribune.