Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-12-05
RATSIN-
rfsE OPERATION AS CONDUCTED
BY THE CALIFORNIA PACKERS.
MeGrapes Picked By Crews OF Chinamen
"A Drying Ground Sixty Acrss In
Extens--futtiag tho Ralsins
Into gwsat-Boxes.
lorange tcai.) rribune.I


Yhe grapes are purchased on the vines.
sqn0 by actual weight others by estimat-
4& the crop from weighing the product OF
SSery tsnth vine. Good judges can make .
Qfetty close guess at tho number Of tons on
= acre Of vine' and years Of. practice ena-
e tbs buyer to tell very nearly not only
- amount but the quality OF the raisins to
H made from the vines which grow in diff
Brent SOILS. While the lower and damper
4nds bring the largest crops and perhaps
~ largest berries, the dry lands give q
4nch larger percentage Of sugar. and con-
Aquently finer raisin.
DRYING IN THE SUN.
The grapes are picked by crews Of men
under experienced foremen, and are placed
q Trays or wooden frames, which are piled
a top Of each other in wagons and taken
y the dryinggrounda These consist OF
SPOUT sixty acres OF land, smoothed and
aeanei like brickyeri, and the grapes are
Pread out in long rows to dry in the sun.
Zen days or two weeks from the "laying
DOWN Is usually about the time required to
Try them, aud then those thoroughly cured
ye taken up and put into the sweat-boxss
Probably one-tbird are not yet cured, and
lhose are turned over aud placed in narrow
Rws until tue action OF Old Sol has made
ehem ready.
The enormous quantity of grapes handled
~ one firm can be estimated when it Is
Known that at one time this sixty-acr plot
was covered, AMI portion OF it has been
covered second time Teams ara con-
naually coming and going, and small
sfmy OF mon are employed to take caro- of
the grapes and keep the team, on the move.
Many women and girls are also employed
81 picking up the raisins which have fallen
&pm the stems. The trays ara OF number
ana capacity to holi 3)) tons Of grapes.
Another thing which catches the eye at the
Atying grounds is the preparation made for
Ubssible rains, In the shape Of rolls OF oiled
daper stacked up in all directions. This
&per is in sheets about four feet in width
I'D sixteen feet long. prepared to withstand
rMn by dipping It in boiled oil. Two carloads
& paper and 70 barrels OF oil have been used
tQls season. but as yet it has not been found
NECESSARY to use the paper.
PUT INTO SwEAT.BOxEs.
When properly dried the Craps ara taken
end put into swsatboxss, probably ninety
eve or 100 pounds to the box, and hauled to
ahe packing house, where they are piled
&Dm floor to ceiling in the large front
s9om. They are left here some ton days
40 passed through sweating process, the
&Ject being 20 equalizs the moisture con-
Mined In them Whom placsi in boxes soma are
much drier than other.. but when ready
Tor the packer the intention Is to make them
Is nearly as possible equal and uniform in
that regarL Four layer are placed in box
ana each layer is weighed by the packer
ind the whole must make exactly the
twenty pounds required. When box is
ahed the packer takes II to the scales near
she door, presided over by an export in the
kfNpsx. ~,
af1ines 1t, and il all right it is carried to the
aext room, where it is nailei up and the
cTners smoothed off. and it is ready for
shipment. Particular care is exercised In
grading and weighing. About 1875 men are
employed in and about the packing. house,
aud "a steady stream of boxes" Is kept
going around the circle. We were Informed
that about 1900 boxes day were being
turned out, or three car loads every two
days.
The most OF the packers arc Cinnamon,
and as usual they soon become very expert
at the bu ,iness, putting up from ten to
twelve boxes a day. White men Gil all the
Kvponsible stations, it evidently being con-
shersi necessary to keep vigilant watch
aver the "heataen" tokesp him from resort
Ia TO "ways that are dark" Occasion
s3ly = box goes back to the packer and is
fl2st-ai work NUT be done all the time.
The I lids are branded by powerful
cyl press run by horsepower, AMI it
.y'ratusi amusing to 4 printer to watch the
sa.ius operandi Of this coarse-graipei
eSr. Checks are used in every de, .rt-
aue nacler receiving a check for each
~ .eG al the scales. Tue whole bus
-- rs 70 10 systematizsi thoroughly
afN moves along like clock work