Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-25
CALIFORNIA FARMS.
Their Products in the East
ern Markets.
PROFITABLE TREES TO PLANT
Some Hints to the Husbahdmen
of the State on
The Subject.

Some Hints to the Husbahdmen
Of the State on
The Subject.
Grocers in New York have been much
surprised this season by the remarkable
inroad which has been made by the Cal
ifornia raisins into the trade OF imported
dried fruit. AT Christmas time there Is
always an increased demand for this
class of groceries. Heretofore 1t has
been nece ssary to depend upon importa-
tions for some of the materials required
in making the customary Christmas OF
plum pudding. This is no longer ne
cessity, as this country can not only sup
ply the flour and egg, but also the fruit.
When California first produced surplus
of grapes, the thoughts of the cultivators
naturally turned to the production OF
wine as means for the disposal in
profitable way of the superabundant har-
vest. AS tims wore on and the produc-
tion increased, while the making of wine
failed to utilize all the extra crop, at
tention was given to the drying OF the
fruit, better known by the designation
of the curing of raisins. For long
while this new source of American in
dus!ry failed to realzs the desired re-
suit. The art of curing raisins for the
general market was in its infancy and
had not been perfected. Despite all
efforts the product did not equal in any
way that of Spain, either in beauty or
quality. Consequently there was very
little demand for native fruit. Even III
the State where the grapes were grown
there was no market for the native
raisins, much less in those cities along
the Atlantic seaboard into which the
foreign fruit was brought. Time and
experience have, however, taught the
cultivators of the Californian vineyards,
and those associated with them, wherein
they were lacking. Great improvements
have been the result. SO advanced have
they become in the art of curing raisns
that this season they have been enabled
to introduce in the New York markets
native raisins which are claimed to be
not only equal to the ordinary class of
goods imported fran Spain but seem su-
perior.
In many d strcts of the United States
the Californian raisiu is said to be pre-
ferred to the Spanish Malaga fruit.
nF n
price, for the native product rates as
high iu the market as the imported. In
point of fact the price of the former is
graded by that of the latter. No at.
tempt is made here to undersell the
market rate. The dealers say there is
no necessity for so doing, as the native
fruit will maintain its own position by
its beauty and quality. Yet despite
this fact the wholesale dealers here in
this new class of Californian fruit assert
that the sales of both the native and
foreign raisin run about equal; that they
sell box for box with each other at the
same price. Certain classes of the
larger MHscaiel raisins, in punches,
brought from California during the pres
ent season exhibit as pretty an appear
ance as any imported from Spain.
Without the ornamental packing to set
them off they are generally quite as at.
tractive to purchasers of choice fruit. 1t
il true that many give preference to the
Spanish, because it is foreign, while
others think there is yet something 6
lacking toward perfection in the cur.
ing of the American. They consider
the native raisin is not so lasting as the
imported. Even those grocers who
raise this objection admit that it will
only bs short time when this difficulty
will be overcome, Then all obstacles
to the California raisin commanding the
American market will be removed. The
strides which have been made during
the past two years in the production of
this class of dried fruit are universally
admitted. As the time and cost OF
have been greatly re.
duced there seems to be scarcely any
reason why the native raisin cannot, In
the not far distant future, be laid down
in this market fresher, cheaper and bet.
ter than those of Europe. Should this
prove to be the case, it will afford
another opportunity for increasing the
productions of the soil, advancing
American industry and making the
country more independent OF the Old
World In the matter of the food-supply.
Some of the dealers in the California
raisin believe that the time is not ve:y
when the expectation OF the
American dried fruit will be as large as
the irnportations now are. This. they
think will be especially the case when
the quality of the American raisin be-
comes more generally known. They
point to the great export trade which is
now being carried on in American leath-
er--the result of an experiment to get
rid of an overproduction--as an example
of what may be accomplished in other
products. They also predict that 1T will
not be long before the United States Will
rank with any country in the world in
the matter Of expectations, instead of
being, as formerly, dependent on foreign
countries for its supplies N. I. Mat
and Express, Dec. IL.
BUTTER AND CHEESE.
Twenty-Five years ago the chief pro-
duction of butter and cheese was in the
States east of the Alleghanies, New
York being the largest producer. But
since then the dairy business has extend
ed to the West and Northwest, and o
great percentage of the best butter and
cheese is now supplied by Ohio, Michi.
gan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and
other Western States. Some idea OF the
extent and scope of the business is
afforded by the following st tistics from
the census of 1880:
STATES. No. Cows. VALUE.