The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-12-18
LONE OF THE RAISIN.
LfoRNIA METHOD OF DRY
mo AND PACKING.

Al II tlefng Picked the Gr.r-- ---
- 4" the Field TO Care-The
sveasing Process.
TIE Cabfornia method Of drying and
packing the raisin is peculiar and well
worth brief description. When the
graEe teaches certain degree of ripe
ncs4Hand Develops the requisite amount
OF = eharine matter a large force is put
h&4s esxipeysrd aud the picking be-
gjz - tunches of ripe grapes are
PlaccdN NcsESully on wooden trays aud
are left In the field to cure. The pro-
cess requfes from seven days to three
weeks, ac3ordins to the amount Of sun
shine. This climate is so entirely free
from dew at night that there is nt
danger OF must. The grape cures per-
fectly in tlis way and makes far
swectcr raisn than when dried by
artificial hea. When the grapes are
dried sutiicienly the trays are gathered
and stacked IA piles about as high rs
mans waist. Then begins the tedious
but necessary process Of sorting into the
sweat boxes. These boxes are about
eight inches dep aud hold 125 pounds
of grapes. Aound the sorter arc three
sweat boxes or the three grades of
grapes. In esh box are three layers of
manila paper which are used at equal
intervals to pnvcnt the stems of the
grapes from hcoming entangled, thus
breaking the fiic large punches when re-
moved. Tpe sorter must be an expert.
He takes The lunches by the stem, plac-
ing tho largest and finest in the first
a, t.,i,
sized in the second grade, and all
broken and ragged punches in the third
class. When the boxes are filled they
arc hauled to the brick building known
rs the equalizer. This is constructed SO
as to permit ventilation ut the top, but
to exclude light aud air as much rs
possible from the grapes. The boxes
are piled in tiers i'll this house and
allowed to remain in darkness for from
ten to twenty days. Here they undergo
sweating process, which diifuses
moisture equally throughout the con
tents of each box. This prevents some
grapes from retaining undue moisture,
and it also softens the stems aud makes
them pliablc.
From the cqualizing-rOom the sweat
boxes are taken to the packing room.
Here they are first wei Shed. The first
and second grades are passed to the sor-
ter, whifs the third grade raislns are
placed in II biz machuc that strips of
the stems and grades the loose raisins in
three or four sizes. THESE are placed in
sacks and sold rs loose raisins. The
higher grades are carefully sorted intr
fist aul second class clusters. After
this sorting the boxes are passed to
women aud girls, vino arrange tho clus
tcrs neatly i'll snail tivc-pouud boxes
with movable bottoms. These boxes
are placed under slight pressure, and
four of them fill one OF the regular
twenty Hound boxes OF commerce..
The work OF placing the raisins in the
small boxes requires much practice, but
women arc found To he much swiftcr than
men at this labor, aud rs they are paid
by the box, tho more skitul earn from
81 to So 4 day. 1t is light, pleasant
work, rs the room is large, cool and well
ventilated, and there is no mixing of the
sexes, such as may bc found in many Of
the San Francisco canneriss. For
this reason the work attracts nice girls,
anet one m;Ik see many attractive faces in
II trip Though II large packing house.
One heavy -shouldred, masculine looking
Gcrman woman, who, however, had long,
slender fingers, was pointed out rs the
swiftcst aH".cr in the room. She nude
regularly So day. The assurance of
steady work of this kind for three
months draws many people to Fresno,
and the regular disbursement of II large
sum as wages every week goes far to
explain the thrift and comfort seen Oh
every hand.
The tive.pound boxes Of grapes arc
passed to the pressing machiac, where
four of them are deity transferred to Il
twenty pound box. The two highest
grades of raislns are the Dehesu and the
London layers. 1t has always been the
ambition of Caitornia's raisin. makers to
produce the Dchcsa brand. They know
that their best raisn5 are equal in size
aud quality to tue Dtst Splnlsh raisins,
but heretofore they have found the cost
"' rseaaGsSfr-rtop layer in the Spanish
style vefy costly, aS the ratsfnS nau TO DC
ilattcncd out (Or thumbcl, as it is tcchni-
cally callcd) by hand. In Spain, where
hand labor cuts no figure i'll the cost OF
production, but here, with the cheapest
labor ut 81. 5Oa day, it has proved bar
to competition. American ingenuity,
however, is likely to overcome this haudi.
cap OF high wages. Il. g. White, au old
ralsin-growcr, has invcnted IL packing
plate of metal, with depresslons at rcgu
lar intervals just the size OF Il big risiu.
This plate is put at the bottom of the
preliminary packing box, and when the
work of packing is complete the box Is
reversed and the top layer, pressed into
the dcpresSons Of the plate, bears every
mark Of the most careful hand manipula.
ton. Mr. Butter used this plate Tor tn
first time this season, and found it sue.
cess, and there is no question of its gen.
crai adoption. Every year sees more at
t"nsi"n ,,oiI t. thv ,a..ot" s,vndiny 80
raisns, as upon this depends much OF
their marketable value. The large pack
ing houses have dono good work in en-
forcing this rule, m the chief sinners
who still indulge IN careless packing are
small growers with lonr facilities. Prob
ably the next IcN wears will see Il nrcat