Morning journal and courier., 1885-11-09
RAISIN MAKING.
The Operation as Conducted by the Largest California Packers.
 From the Orange (Cal.) Tribune.1

The Operation as Conducted by the Largest California Packers. From the Orange 0al) Tribune.]
 The grapes are purchased on the vines, some by actual weight, others by estimating the crop from weighing the product of every tenth vine. Good judges can make pretty close gness at the number of tons on an acre of vines, and years of practice enable the buyer to tell very nearly 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. It is claimed that the best grade of Orange raj sins will this year equal any in the market, and it is confidently expected that our pro duct will gain very enviable name and footing in the East this year. Unusual care is being taken to pack and grade in manner that will reflect credit on Oranges products, and the result will certainly be strong de- mand in the future.
 The grapes are picked by crews of men under experienced foremen, and are placed in trays or wooden frames, which 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 sixty 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 Having down" is usually about the time required to dry them, and then those thoroughly cured are taken up and put into the sweat boxes. Probably one-third are not yet cured, and these are turned over and placed in narrow rows until the action of Old Sol has made them ready. The enormous quantity of
 grapes handled by one firm can be estimated ! when it is known that at one time this sixty acre plot was covered, and a portion of it has been covered second time. Teams are continually coming and going, and small army of men are employed to take care of | the grapes and keep the teams on the move. l Many women and girls are also employed picking up the loose raisins which have fall | en from the stems. The trays are of num- | Der and capacity to hold three hundred tons | of grapes. Another thing which catches the l eye at the drying grounds is the preparation made for possible rains, in the shape of rolls 1 of oiled paper stacked up in all directions. l This paper is in sheets about four feet in width and sixteen feet long, prepared to
 withstand rain by dipping it in boiled oil l Two carloads of paper and fifty barrels of 1 oil have been used this season, but as yet it l has not been found necessary to use the pa per.
 | When properly dried the grapes are taken | up and put into sweat boxes, probably sev- 1 enty-five or one hundred pounds to the box, I | are piled from floor to ceiling in the large
 front room. They are left here some ten I days and passed through sweating process, l the object being to equalize the moisture
 contained in them. When placed in boxes some are much drier than others, but when
 ready for the packer the intention is to make | them, as nearly possible, equal and uni 1 form in that regard. Four layers are placed | in box, and each layer is weighed by the 1 packer, and the whole must make exactly the | twenty pounds required. When 8 box is l filled the packer takes it to the scales near l the door, presided over by an expert in the l businesf, who carefully weighs and examines l it, and if all right it is carried to the next
 room, where it is nailed up and the corners l smoothed off, and it is ready for shipment | Particular care is exercised in grading and 1 weighing. About one hundred and twenty | five men are employed in and about the packing house, and "a steady stream of box 1 es' is kept going around the circle. We were informed that about fifteen hundred
 boxes day were being turned out, or three carloads every two days.
 The most of the packers are Chinamen | and usual they soon become very exper
 at the business, putting up from ten tS l twelve boxes day. White men fill all tn
 responsible stations, it evidently being con
 sidered necessary to keep a close and vigi | lant watch over the tfheathen" to keep hin
 from resorting to ''ways that are dark" Oc
 casionslly box goes back to the packer ant
 is upset on his table as a gentle reminde ItI,.. -e-sIs.s 1 time.
 4The box lids are branded by powerful
 cylinder press run by horse power, and it i: rather amusing to printer to watch the mo
 dus operandi of this coarse grained printing
 Checks are used in every department,
 packer receiving check for each box de | livered at the scales. The whole business
 seems to be systematized thoroughly ant
 moves along like clockwork. The work promises to last until Christmas or New l Years before the whole crop is disposed l of, but the favorable weather which the
 raisinmakers have been blessed with will
 facilitate their operations, and if 1t contin, | ues for another month they will have tke | most of the work done.