St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-27
RAISIN-MA kING.
The Operation as Conducted by the
California Packers

The Operation as Conducted by the
California Packers.
Orange (Cal.) Tribune.
Some 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 guess 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 a much
larger percentage OF sugar, and conse-
quently finer raisin. 1t is claimed that
the best grade of Orange raisins will this
year equal any in the market, and it is con-
fdentiy expected that our product will gain
very enviable name and footing in the
east this year. Unusual care is being taken
to pack and grade in a manner that will re-
feet credit on Oranges products, and the
result will certainly be strong demand 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 driving grounds. These con-
sist 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 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.
Probably one-third are not yet cured, and
these are are turned over and placed in mar
row rows until the action of old Sol has
made them ready. The enormous quantity
of grapes handled by one firm can be esti-
mated when it is known that at one time
this sixty-acre plot was covered, and por-
ton 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. Many women and girls are
also employed picking up the loose raisins
which have fallen from the stems. The
800 tons of grapes. Another 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
four feet in width and sixteen feet long, pre-
pared to withstand rain by dipping it in
boiled oil. Two carloads of paper and
fifty barrels of oil have been used this sea
son, but as yet it has not been found neces-
sary to use the paper. When properly
dried the grapes are taken up and put into
sweat boxes, probably IS or 100 pounds to
the box, and 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 sweat
ing process, 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 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
twenty pounds required. When a box is
filled the packer takes it to the scales neal
the door, presided over by an expert in the
business, who carefully weighs and eX-
amines it, and if all right it is carried to
the next room, where it is nailed up and the
corners 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,
and, ''a steady stream of boxes' is kept go
ing around the circle. We were informed
that about 1900 boxes 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 expert
at the business, putting up from ten to
twelve boxes day. White men fill all the
responsible stations, it evidently being con-
sidered necessary to keep close and vigil
ant watch over the ''heathen" to keep him
from resorting to ''ways that are dark. !"
Occasionally a box goes back to the packer,
and is upset on his table as gentle re-
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 print
ing. Checks are used in every department
packer receiving a check for each box de-
livered at the scales. The whole business
seems to be systematized thoroughly and
moves along like clockwork. The work
promises to last until Christmas or New
Years before the whole crop is disposed of,
but the favorable weather which the raisin-
makers have been blessed with will facilitate
their operations, and if it continues for an
othe rmonth they will have the most of the
work done.