Brookings County sentinel. (Brookings, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1890, 1890-03-07
RAISIN GROWING
An Interesting Description of
This Great California In
diStry.

w itH uluefCdkc TO 1ulnl nv
promise in regard to vine cul-
ture and raisin making in this
country, | realize how difficult it
will be to give a complete outline
OF the business in one letter.
The home-seeher's first object is
to secure his land, and he can eth
er buy cultivated or uncultivated
land; if the former, you pay from
$500 to $4,000 per acre, the price
varying according to age Of vines,
quality of soil, amount of improve
ments and convenience TO town.
The vines are not considered pro-
titable until three years old, and
then they continue to improve for
five years after that, after three
years it is claimed that the vines
will pay net profit of from $50
to $500 per acre.
The vines are pruned in Janu-
ary and February, all of the pre-
cedings years growth being cut
away but two or three inches, the
fruit being produced entirely on
the new growth each year; the
work is mainly done by Chinese,
who after the pruning is done,
clear the ground for the trimmings,
of which they make cuttings, sell
them the following spring at from
Sl5 to $50 per thousand. Next
follows the blowing and cultivat-
ing, which is about the same
amount of work, and done in the
manner as corn is cultivated in
the east, when properly done;
this is done mainly to keep down
the weeds and to make burrows
through which the water runs
during the season of irrigation;
but a quantity of the land has
been flooded so much that it has
become what is called subirrigatcd,
being SO full Of moisture that sur
face Watering is no longer neccs-
sary. in fact some sections have be-
come 50 wet that it has been found
necessary to make drains to carry
off the surplus water.
The picking season begins IN
July and continues until the frost
comes, as the vines produce three
crops, which really is bnt one
crop maturing at three different
times during as many months.
The grapes are picked and
placed on broad shallow trays,
and laid on the ground to dry
until ready for the sweat boxes
in which they are carried to the
packing-house. where they are
put up to suit the taste or ability
of the packer
Where the soil is not adapted
to the culture of raisin-grapes,
what is known as wlne-grapes are
planted and cultivated in the
manner already described, but
when picked from the vines they
are taken to the winery instead of
being dried, as for raisins.
Some of the largest wine
cellars in the state are In this
county, and it would seem to be
the wine-bibber's paradise, and in
no city in California, so far as |
know, except Pasadena, is it
necessary to travel more than one
block between drinks. n. b. the
foregoing information was gained
from observation.
If you come here with a limited
amount of means, you will be
advised to buy unimproved land
which will cost jcr from s75 to
$500 per acre according to quality
of land, location and convenience
to water, the latter being neces-
sity, at least in the setting out OF
vineyard.
The first thing to be done Is to
level the land, much of which is IN
sandy ridges, and what is called
hogwallows. The leveling is done
by plowing, scraplng and smooth
ing, after which it is settled or
flooded with water, when 1t IS
ready for planting, which is about
the same amount of work as plant
ing out a Dakota treeclaim with
seedlings; after the planting is
done the owner must take care
of the vines for three years be-
fore he may expcctany return worth
speaking of, and at the end of
three years his land, including
work in preparing, planting and
cultivating, will have cost hlm
$50 per acre, and this aside from
buildings, living etc. For the
first two years after planting, the
vines must be protected from
rabbits, which are numerous and
destructive, and to do this fences
are made of wire netting; what
are called rabbit drives are organiz-
ed here, and large V shaped corrals
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