Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-10
NO MALAGA GRAPES IMPORTED.
The Ones Called MalaHas Are Almer-
Ian Grapes, a Dealer Says.

The Ones Called Malaxas Are Almer-
ian Grapes, a Dealer Says.
From the New York Sun.
THE grapes that are sold by the fruit
dealers Of this country Malaga grapes"
said commission merchant, ''are not NAL
aga grapes at all. genuine Malaga grape
is the rarest grape that ever came to our
markets. and is nowadays really never
seen here. 1t is grape SO tender and deli
cate that 1t will not stand shipment we'll,
and importations that have arrived here in
good condition had to be disposed of al
most on the moment If the importer hoped
to realize on his venture. The Malaga
and in the making Of that Malaga wine
coDnoiSseurs talk SO knowingly and unc-
tuousy about and have never seen, much
less tasted
buy here as Malaga grapes grow in the al
most inaccessible mountain regions Of
Spain in the district of Almeria. Unlike
the Malaga, the AlEerid grape is the
| region that is its native soil. That region
is wild and primitive. with lusty people
inhabiting it. The vineyards are fifty miles
back from the sea, without a road connect
ing them with outside communication. TIE
| iE termediate country is infested by wild
beasts and still more savage outlaws, and
tourists have not yet ventured to include
that part Of Spain in their wanderings.
Only one American has ever yet ventured
into that isolated region, and that was
| Charles Goodsell of this city.
THE average grape crop Of the Almeria
district is nearly half million barrels Of
| forty pounds each-the squatty, tub-like
receptacles the grapes come to this market
| in. That makes ABOUT 10000 tons of grapes
that are transported these fifty miles be-
| tween the vineyards and the wharf at Al
| meria on the backs of donkeys through
the mountain wilderness. The vineyards
are all .small holdings of the n ountain
peasants, and yield about five tons to the
acre. The I7ual price received for the
grapes, delivered on the wharf at Almeria
packed in barrels, the packing being done
| at the vineyards. is nine cents a pound
| The cork dust in which the fruit is backed
| is taken to Almeria on the vessels that
| bring away the grapes, and is sold to the
grape growers who carry 1T over the noun
| tains on their donkeys OH their return
| trips.
'"rhe harvesting of this unique crop is
done during August. The vessels which
| transport the grapes across the sea cannot
| reach the Almeria wharf because of shall
| lew water. They lie at anchor half a mile
| or so off. The grapes are carried to the
| vessels in rowboats of antique pattern and
| small capacity. The Aim erian grape grow
erS and handlers savagely resent any eff
| fort to introduce improved methods of
| transfer.
The grapes begin to reach New York
| about October 1. This market ha1 dies
about half the crop, or perhaps 200, 600 bar
| rels. The importers sell to dealers only by
auction. which sales are held on stated
days, at the Produce Exchange. from Oe-
toher to April. They are cataiogued and
sold for what they are--Almeria grapes.
| They do not become Malaga grapes until
| they reach the hands Of the retailers.
These grapes are the nearest to being i'm
! perishable Of all the fruits that grow.
| have had them sound as the day thew
were picked from the vines in Spain more
| tnan year after they were picked"