The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-02
THE RAISIN INDUSTRY.
One of the Most Pleasant and Prof.
HE Branchea OF HNrticuIture.


BILE Branches OF Horticulture.
LOS ANGELES, April 30.-In the
raisin industry Fresno county, in the
San Joaquin valley Of California, pos
sesses a mine of unlimited wealth.
Raisin growing is now considered as
the safest and most profitable horti-
cultural industry not only Of this state.
but Of the United States. The area in
Muscatel grapes was almost doubled
during the last planting season. Fres-
no county now possesses very nearly
$4,000 acres Of grape vines, nearly all
Of which are Muscatel or raisin grapes.
The success Of the raisin industry
has naturally attracted the attention
Of capitalists all over the content. The
culture OF the raisin grape, its curing
and packing is pre-eminently the
most refined horticultural industry.
Nothing requires more neatness. more
taste or gives more pleasure to the
horticultural than the various labors
connected with the vinyard and the
packing house. If we add to this that
no other horticultural industry known
! is equally profitable, and that no other
branch Of horticulture responds equal
ly to intelligent care and study. it is
I but natural the capitalist, the Well-to-
do tradesman, the banker, the literary
student and the professional teacher
should all look to the industry as one
conveniently adapted as q recreation
from other work. a, horticultural pur-
suit in which the health of the body
and the soul is equally improved and
where the enjoyments Of rural life
may be INDUCED in to the fullest ex-
tent. From the very beginning this
was the case. The raisin vines in
Fresno and elsewhere in this state
were first planted by these classes of
people, and the raisin colony was syn
onymous with refinement and culture,
more so than any other settlement in
this state or elsewhere. During the
last year the additions to our raisin
growers have come principally from
the large cities and nearly exclusively
from people Of refinement and means.
This again gives to the raisin commun-
1ty an aspect Of refinement and taste.
and traveller through the districts
where raisins are the almost exclusive
crop rather considers himself viewing
the outskirts Of a large city, where
villas and pleasure gardens alternate,
than the cultivated acres Of the raisin
grower, where every foot Of ground
is guarded with Jealous care and made
to produce to it's utmost capacity.
There is no horticultural industry
which pays as we'll and yields a re-
turn as quickly as the growing of RATS
In grapes and their curing. The vines
are hardly planted before they begin
to bear some. Some grapes are Sorne
on the vines when they are a year
old, while two-year-olds have been
known to bear a crop. At three years
the vines pay the expenses and inter-
est On the money. and at four years
from planting they bring the first large
paying crop. The raiSin is the poor
mans friend, the crop that will give
him quick returns, the crop that will
enable him to pay the mortgage on
his farm the quickest the crop which
II he preserves and cares for it, will
make him independently rich in the
shortest time. Fresno and the San
Joaquin valley are the only places
where the vines bear a second crop of
grapes annually. In all other sections,
in this state as well as in Europe, the
vines bear only a first crop, and no
one ever expects to harvest anything
else. The raisin grower there is salts
fed If weather and wind leave him to
harvest and cure this first and only
crop of his vines, and prosperous in
deed is the year when the rain and fog
do not injure even the earliest picked
grapes.
1t is known that as much as $430
per acre has been realized by careful
cultivation and by thorough study of
the nature of the vine and its require
ments. Such yield is. however, rare.
and can only be the outcome of a mum.
Der of propitious circumstances, such
as rich soil, manuring, favorable
weather and skill in handling the
grapes. Smaller yields of $3.50 per acre
are not uncommon. A colonist with
ten to fifteen acres in raisins can.
with a little care. realize from $500
to $4,000 from his raisins alone. The
balance of twenty acres gives him an
abundance of vegetables. eggs. poul-
try, milk, butter and other farm prod
ucts to live on for himself and family
Thus it will be seen that the life OF
the raisn grower Is both profitable and
pleasant Frank H. Brown.