The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-03-04
Malaga Raisins.
REPORTED By UNITED STATES CONSUL
MARsToN.

SIARsToN.
Notwithstanding the neglected condi-
ton of agriculture in Andalusia, and
primitive processes followed in many
ways, the marvellous fertility of the soil
impresses the most inattentive and indif-
ferent observer. But among all the nat
ural riches that abound in this luxuriant
country, the most worthy of mention are
the vines SO justly famous, both through
the celebrated wines anddelicious raisins
of which Malaga rs the principal market
for both Europe and the New World.
1t will, perhaps, be instructive to make
some remarks ON the production, prepar-
alton and commerce OF the raisins, which
seem, although of ancient origin, to offer
the attraction OF novelty.
There are two distinct vines, the Mus
catel and the Pedro-Niminez, the first
indigenous to the country, the second
imported from the borders of the Rhine
two hundred or two hundred and fifty
years ago by German, whose name
corrupted in Andalusia, was given to
the vine. Opinions seem divided as to
the respective merits of these two vines;
some insist that thev are equally good,
Others that the ALuscatel is much the
best. l give decided preference to the
AIuscatel 4 box of raisins made from
the Muscatel, recently sent to the Expo
sition at Moscow by a firm of Malaga,
contained samples presenting the ap-
pearance of large prunes.
The cultivation OF the VINE requires
hard labor. The soil is dug out around
the root, leaving circular hole about
one foot deep, and owing to the tirmness
of the soil, the digging is very difficult.
Manure of great strength is used by many
proprietors.
Different from Meridional Italy, where
the vine, alwavs clinging to the elm,
throws itself from the soil i'm forms of
graceful arbor, as ia the time OF Horace
and of Virgil, in this country it stretches
itself over the ground, and thlls gathers
all atmospheric heat Thus, although
white, the grape has golden tint, the
skin resisting and slightly tough. The
branch appears like a root.
The vintage is conducted with great
care; they do not gather all the fruit at
one time, but mostly 60 over the same
piece of ground thrice, in order that the
grapes may have the necessary ripeness.
There are three different methods of
preparing the raisins, viz. washing, dry
ing by steam and the simple drying in
the sun. The drying by steam is more
particularly followed in the provinces of
Denia, because of the insufficieg&cy OF
the solar heat. 1t is also employed in
the south in case the season is wet dur
ing the vintage.
The cut grapes are put in baskets, and
carried, either ON the backs OF mules or
donkeys or in carts, to the places, often
distant, where they are prepared, and
although they transport the fruit with
great care, it suffers materially; the skin
often breaks, which renders the drying
difficult if not impossible.
To dry the grapes by the washing
method, they construct furnaces OF feeble
draft, in which wood is used as fuel. y
round kettle, varying i'll capacity from
300 to 400 liters, receives a I've formed
from the residue or refuse OF the grape
after pressing. The lye used is either that
obtained from the present year, or that
which has been kept from the previous
vintage.
Placed in wire colenders with long
handles, containing to 3 kilogrammes
each, the raisins are plunged in this lye
boiling at a temperature of about 2l2O
Fahrenheit. After this first INNER
sion the workmen examine if the skins
are sufficiently shriveled; if not, they
immerse the grapes second time, usu-
ally the last. Thus scalded, the grapes
are carried to a drying place, and from
thence to the stores, where they are
packed in boxes.
1t is not difficult to imagine that the
process of immersion is very delicate,
and requires skillful and careful watch
ing, and great judgement on the part of
the workman who conducts it. In real
ity, according to the quality of the skin,
it's resistance, which varies with the
fruit, the immersion should be more or
less rapid, at the risk of having the grapes
burst besides much skill is necessary to
recognize the-fssures which may appear.
In cases where the heat has has been too
great, the raisins too rich in sugar will
mould shortly after being packed. This
process offers, among others, the incon-
venience OF exposing the raisins to fer
mentation during transportation, neces-
states the expense for the construction
of furnaces, and the necessary last dry
ing in the sun; besides, no matter what
grapes employed, or what care bestowed
in preparation, the results will always be
relatively inferior.
The method of preparing raisins by
steam is as follows After having been
exposed nearly twenty-four hours to the
SUMS rays, the grapes are carried on