The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-18
RAISIN-MAkING,
The Operation as Conducted by the Largest
California Packers.

California Packers.
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 a pretty close guess
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 percent
age of sugar, and consequently finer
raiSin.
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 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 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
lot was covered, and a portion of it has
been covered second time. Teams
are continually coming and going, and
a 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 trays are of number
and capacity to hold three hundred
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.
When properly dried the grapes are
taken up and put into sweat-bOxes.
probably seventy-five or one hundred
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 sweating
process, the object being to e1ualize
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 uni
form in that regard. Four layers are
placed in a 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 near the
door, presided over by an expert in the
business, who carefully weighs and
examines 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 one hundred and twenty-five
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
one thousand five hundred boxes day
were being turned out, or three car
loads every two days.-Orange (Cat)
Tribune