The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-03-13
Raisin- Making.

The Orange (Cal.) Tribune says 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 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 differ
ent 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 con-
sequently finer raisin.
DRYING IN THE SUN.
The grepes 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 drying-ground. These consist of
about sixty acres of land, smoothed and
cleaned like brickyard, 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
those 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 portion of it has been
covered a second time. Teams are con-
tinually 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
in picking up the raisins which have fallen
from the stems. The trays are Of a number
and capacity to hold 300 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, prepared to Withstand
rain by dipping it in boiled oil. Two car
loads of paper and 80 barrels of oil have
been used this season, but as yet it has not
been found necessary to use the paper.
PUT INTO swEAT-BoXEs.
When properly dried the grapes are taken
and put into sweat-boxes, probably ninety
five 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 a sweating process, the
object being to equalize the moisture con-
tained in them. When placed in boxes
some are dricr 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 a
box and each layer is weighed by the pack
er, and the whole must make exactly the
twenty pounds required. When a box is
filled the packer takes it to the scales near
the door, presided over by an expert in the
business, who carefully weighs and exam
ines 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 125 men
are employed in and about the packing
house, and "a steady stream of boxes" is
kept going around the circle. We were
informed that about l 800 boxes day were
being turned out, or three car loads 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 vigilant watch
over the ''heathen" to keep him from re-
sorting to ''ways that are dark" Occasion
ally box goes back to the packer and is
upset on his table as a gentle reminder that
first-class work must be done all the time.
The box-lids are branded by a powerful
cylinder press run by horsepower, and ii
is rather amusing to printer to watch the
modus operandi of this coarse grained
printing, Checks are used in every de-
partment, packer receiving check for
each box delivered at the scales The
whole business seems to be systematized
thoroughly and moves along like clockwork