The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-01-05
THE RAISIN CROP.
An Important California In
dustry Described.
Processes of Converting Grapes
Into RaiSinS.


fore leaving the field-into the layers
and loose. The former grade is taken
Immediately to the sweathouse, where
they remain from seven to ten DAYS.
The sweathouse is a close room, with
double walls packed with sawdust. The
purpose OF sweating the grapes i, to
bring them all to an equal state, the
berri.s on cluster that are overdried
receiving moisture from Their juicicr fell
lows, and any super abundant moisture
being absor bed by the stems, which arc
thus rendered pliable and adapted for
packing without breakage.
The loose, consisting of the moro
ragged punches and the berries that
have parted from the stem in handling,
are run through a stemmer. This is
large machine, not unlike in general
appearance to the ordinary grain scpar-
a:or, The dried grapes are fed into
hopper at the top, and, after passing
through contrlvance which separates
them from the stem, they pass down
through successive sleeves and come out
at The bottom in four grades, the two
first of which are Of superior quality,
and are boxed and labelled; and the in
ferior grades arc simply sacked and
sent out as dried grapes" The stem mer
referred to is very perfect machine,
and is the invention of Mr.. johnson,
who is connected with the establish
ment. But before being packed these
loose raisins are put through the sweat
ing process just the same as the clusters.
Tho packing of the raisins is done
principally by the women aud girls, of
whom there are $50 employed. For
packing, four sizes of boxes are used,
holding five, ten, fifteen aud twenty
pounds. There also are smaller paper
boxes called cartoons, in which are
packed particularly fine clusters for the
holiday trade. In the packing process
there arc four grades-three of the clus-
tiers and one of the loose. 1t will be
understood that the first-ciass loose
raisin is of about the same guilty as the
first class cluster, but the latter is more
attractive and desirable. The packing
is done with exceeding care, the clusters
being so arranged that the pressing
process, the last one before the lid is
put on, will not break the stems, and in
case of the loose the berries are ar
ranged with mathematical accuracy.
This is the work that is performed ty
the females, for which their natural
nimbleness of finger and Unborn love of
neatness especially adapts them. For
this work they are paid by the piece, and
some of them become wonderfully eX-
pert.
In addition to the women employed
there are about 100 men connected with
the establishment, making In all 40
persons employed at this one packing
house.
When it is rcmem bercd that there arc
several other packing establishments in
the town or vicinity, besides which sew
eral of the larger raiser, put up their
own product, some idea of the extent
of this particular bran CHI of the industry
may he obtained. The raisin- packing
season extends over about two months.
The grapes are dried by the growers,
and the company only begin to handle
the crop after it is delivered at the
packing house in the sweat boxes.
The present year has been a most
prosperous ono, both for the raiser and
- packer. Tho early heat ripened tho
:, crop on the vine quite early. The ber-
ries were exceptionally large and lus-
cious, and the weather Is said to be
simply perfect for drying. by reason
of getting into market earlier tho pack
ers have been able to pay a good price
= IS cents per pound-for the dried
grapes, and the quality they have been
able to put upon the market this year
has been superior to that OF any pre-
vious year. With increased experience
comes an in creased excellence in the
product, not only in Fresno county, but
of the entire State, and California will
have but little fear in placing her rai'ins
on the markets OF the world in competi-
ton with the product of Spain or any
other iornicn country - Fresno Zeal