The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-11
RAISING RAlSIN GRAPES.
& Leading Industry of the Pacific Coast
Region.

Leading Industry of the Pacific Coast
Region.
Fresno county, CT California, is pre-.
eminently the raisin center of the
United States, its exports alone during
the past year having amounted to
sixtF-hve millions of pounds.
This locality, comprising an area of
eight thousand square miles, lies in
the heart of the justly celeb rated San
joaquin valley. Two-thirds of the
county is level vineyard and orchard
land; the remainder, spurs of the
snOw-clad Sierra Nevadas and tn cir
luxuriant and fertile foot hills. Fiji
teen years ago this vast tract of land
was barren plain, fit only at its best
for sheep pasturage and grain farming
on g, small scale.
To-day the desert literally blossoms
as the rose" and its milk and honey"
Oh solid comfort and wealth are is raisin
vineyards. But these in turn are the
product of the irrigation supplied by
the two magnificent rivers, Kings and
San joaquin, which flow westward
from the melting SHOWS of the Sierras
This supply is ceaseless, the water
being conducted by about two thou
sand miles of canals and five thousand
miles OF lateral bitches to thousands
o. small farms and vineyards in Fres-
40 valley. The county is supposed to
have the most extensive irrigation sys-
tenn in the world-eertainly in the
Stste-and the system is as essential to
its vital existence as is the warm blood
rushing through the veins to the health
Of the animal
ghe cost OF supplying a vineyard
with water is but siXty-two cents per
acre per annum, and the labor of ap-
plying it, If the land has been properly
leveled to receive it, is slight. No
Venetian canal. with its graceful gon-
doias sailing between the marbled
walls OF the old palaces, is half as
beautiful to the Fresno raisin. vine
yardist as the ribbon-like and linpid
ditch" upon whose quiet surface are
mirrored earth and sky and the
tangled leafy loneliness which lies be-
tween.
a raisin vineyard is in full bearing
in three years, but the grape has not
reached its perfection until the vine
from which it springs is six or seven
years old.
The Muscat and Thompson seedless
are the best variety of raisin grape
cultivated, the latter having only been
introduced within the last few years,
but the Zinfandeu and Sultana have
also large Gains upon popularity.
Standing before enc of these vines,
upon which inverted cones of count
less perfect spheres are hanging-each
cluster weighing several pounds-a
vision of the Hebrew spies, with their
magnificent grapes OF Eshcol, borne
''on staff between the two" rises be-
fore US, and invcluntarily we exclaim:
us not this also the Promised Land?"
Few sights are more disappointing
to the eastern tourist and stranger
than ride through a raisin vineyard
in March or early April.
Nothing greets the eye but acres of
level land covered with brown soil.
from whose arabic surface thousands
OF small horned sturnps protrude,
about four or five inches high and
standing ten feet apart.
The pruning of the vines Is done be-
tween the middle OF November and the
LIST of March.
Soon after the wooing sunboa ms Of
May coax open the folded buds the
cultivator begins its work. Soon the
throw out their long arms.
upon which already appears the en-
bryo grape cluster, and until the leaves
OF the vine meet and shut out the pos
sibihty OF getting a pillow between
them the cultivation continues. In
this constant vigilance lies the secret
Of success.
Slowly the forest of vim es expands
As far as the eye can reach is dead
level OF living green interspersed with
silvery isles of running water
About the first of Septemb Der the long
sunny days, the devices nights and
the percolated soil have perfected
their marvellous work. and the first
crop is ready to be gathered. By this
time the laterals have run riot. and the
vIneyardist can scarcely see over the
top OF his vines.
The process OF grape-gathering for
ralslns requires the most delicate
handing and cleanliness Hundreds
OF shallow wooden trays. about FIVE
ieet square, are distributed among
dozens o. trained pickers. The lunches
are carefully cut from the vine. and as
carefully lald upon the base of the tray
to avoid bTulS-ng them. There they
remain untouched Tor ten DAYS and
nights one-half the grape is bv this
time cured; but instead OF turning
them with the hand, an empty trav Is
placed over them, the lower one Is in
Eerted, and the turning and transfer
have been made In twelve more DAVIS
.he curing l. completed The trays
And contents are then stacked about
-v=er.y trays high, where they remain
Ter IKE days sweating, when they are
ready 10 be graded and packed in
boxes Of Ave, ten, twenty and Atty
pounds fo.- the eastern market.
Vines SIX years old TieId one and a