Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-10

san Bernsrdino county .......-........... 200U
Fresno and south TO Los Angees....-......... Coz
Sacramento and north QOJ
Sacramento to Fresnc..... 50O
Total. 2, 22.5C
OF other counties I have no information
There have been already planted in three
southern counties vines enough to produce
when they are in full bearing, say in three
wears, 10000 boxes of raisins. Our crop
this season is estimated at 49, 600 boxes
They are of various qualities, for the rea-
son that many localities suffered from toe
much moisture both in the spring and sum.
mer As our production already exceeds
the local demand, we must look TO the
Eastern States for our market. We must
by excellence in quality and low price
drive away the foreign product. Now, this
is not an easy thing to do, as they have al
ready established business satisfactory tC
people there But before saying any more
let us see what we have to contend with tc
gain even the market Of our own country
The average crop exported from Malaga
for some years past has been about 2000,-
900 boxes of 90 pounds. The ravages OF
the phyIloxera have not reduced it much
as the crop of 1888 was estimated at
$4,000 to 100000 boxes. The crop OF
Denia was estimated at 100000 boxes OF
IS pounds, all inferior raisins. OF these
the United States takes about 100000 to
I,2j0,000 boxes of each kind. | have no
means Of ascertaining the crop of the
present year, but from reports now at hand
ii is small, and prices in New York are
much better than last year. Whether
this is owing to speculation or not | am
unable to say. London layers are quoted
at 81 60Q12 IS per box. The cost Of I'M
porting London layers to New York in an
ordinary season cannot be much less than
one dollar and seventy cents per box, after
paying freight, duty and first cost.
The price of Denia raisins in 1873 was
three and half cents per pound at Valen-
cha, the seaport Of that district. There
has been a wonderful increase in the ship
meats from that part of Spain, and it is
from there that we have to fear COMPETE
ton.
The time of ripening of the Spanish
crop offers a great advantage to the mer-
chants who sell the Malaga goods; they
have their raisins mostly cured by the 1st
Of September. Even by the Goth of Au-
gust shipments can be made, and as there
are steamships direct from Malaga to
New York they can place their raisins in
New York before our raisins are lin many
places ripe enough to cut from the vine.
This affords the importers ample time to
anticipate the market, which they did last
season, much to the disgust of our raisin-
makers. Their business is thoroughly
systematiZed, so that they can seize every
opportunity to dispose of their merchan-
disc, having agents all over the Southern
and Western States The thorough man
ner in which the Malaga raisins are graded
is also Of great advantage to them. We
all know that wages are very low in Spain,
being from IS cents per day in winter to
80 cents and board in harvest, the board
costing Is cents per day. Freight, also, is
very low-from S. to SO per ton.
It was supposed at one time that the
ravages of the phylloxera would destroy
their vineyards, as it has done in France :;
but this seems not to be the case, as the
average production has not been much
lessened, although this insect has been
known to be in the vineyards of Malaga
for more than ten years. What can we do
to compete with these people? We cannot
afford to lose our II, 900 or $4,000 acres of
vineyards, the business of shipping fresh
fruit to the East is uncertain and at pres
ent overdone the manufacture of wine or
brandy from this grape is not profitable
First of all we must strive to get an in
crease in the tariff; next we must try to
get reduction in railroad freight; then
we must manage our vineyards more
economically, and lastly, we must make
better raisins. do not say that better
results can be obtained in all cases, but
that there are many careless men who
strive to produce large quantities without
regard to quality. We must also grade
our raiSins better The usual manner has
been for every producer of raisins to place
his own estimate upon the quality of his
product; the consequence is that the
classification of some men is much better
than that of Others This can be remedied
by having competent expert to grade
them. In Malaga this part of the business
is all done by brokers, who are much more
skilled in the quality of raisins than the
merchants who buy them. If our raisins
are to be factor in the Eastern market
something of this kind must be done, so
that merchant can be assured of the
quality of what he sells. A country grocer
from Illinois said to me, never buy
California raisins because | never can tell
how lot is going to turn out
Another disadvantage which our raisins
labor under in the Eastern market is that
we have established standard box of 20
pounds instead of the 22-pound box of
Malaga. This can be easily remedied, and
will have to be when we really compete
for their trade.
There should be proper feeling between
the merchant and the grower. 1t isexpen-
sive work for the former to build up a
business in the face of such competition,
and the latter has an investment which at
best can pay but little.
Let me give little practical advice to
the raisin-grower. / know it win not be
followed by many at present, as they have
their own system. Do not try to raise
large crops at the expense of size and favor,
remove all shoots not necessary to the pro-
duction of crop; the expense incurred in