The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-24

less note. They spent money until some
of them were almost penniIess, going TO
Sp.in, Zante, and other places to study
the business ss far a, the very natural
local jeaiouSiss OF raisin makers abroad
permitted such Investigations; import
| ing rooted vines ard cuttings from all
| sorts OF places, some OF which proved 10
have been wrongly labelled, and not 10
be rasin grapes al all; trying expert
ments with vineyard. on different soils.
| and with various kinds Of drying ap-
paratuses and patent arrangements.
Technically, almost any kind OF grape
will dry into useful cooking product.
| and will often be fit TO eat Even in old
| Spanish times in California the surplus
| Mission grapes were dried, and along in
the fifties and sixties such dried grapes
found sale at good prices. Hard and full
! seeds, the product nevertheless formed
the basis Of many a pioneer grape pie.
But, as one might say that almost every
variety Of Prunus will dry into a dried
plum, but only few varieties will make
prunes, so We find that the raisin ot COM
nerce requires for it's production pecu-
| liarly firm, sweet grape of nigh flavor.
/ thin, transparent skin, and the capacity
| 10 dry rapidly and easily. There are
| hundreds OF varieties of table grapes
and hundreds Of varieties OF wine grapes
| but the good raisin grapes can be count
ed on the fingers of both hands-and
| there is still room for improvement.
| There is the Muscat group. which pro-
y rha .htrIl - EA x,f
j world. This consists of Muscat Of Alex
andria, Muscatello. Gordo Blanco, the
| famous Huasco OF Peru "a seeding Mus
| csO, and one or two others, all yellow or
| greenish in color. all possessing sweet,
musky flavor, and all immense bearers.
There is the seedless group, including
| Sultana, Thompson's Seedless. and one
or two more; some very sweet, SOM.
more or less acid and popular for cook
ing, and al quite small in comparison
with the Muscats. There are the white
and black Corinths, the true "currant"
grapes Of Greece, but these varieties are
! as yet of little importance in California
as wherever tried they degenerate in
quality, often producing seeds, and be-
coming course.
The one great fault of the leading var
ieties of Faisin grapes il. tlat they pro
duce a succession OF crops extending
over the whole season from August until
frost, which often finds the vines still
covered with small. haff-grown clusters
A variety which gave it's entire yield in
one mid-season crop, which could be
gathered, cured, and taken 10 the pack
ing house before danger of early rains.
would enable growers TO make more
money, and yet to sell the raisins at a
considerably lower price per pound. than
they do now. Greater size Of berries and
fewer or smaller seeds are also desirable
qualities. To such end as these the at
tention OF intelligent hybridisers is be-
ing directed.
Returning to the history Of the indus-
try, il is curious that when Faisins OF
fine grade We're first produced by Blow
ers and Others, they could hardly sell
them even here. The foreign article had
"a different flavor" people said. Thi.
was merely the flavor of age and stale
ness; 2-year-oIi raisins were all that US
ually reached California then, ard Blow
ers product was called raw" and
tough. In fact, he tried a process OF
semi-roasting, to give darker color and
more Of the sugar crystals common in
Old raisins. Aside from this. Ii is certain
that cur newer and richer lands pro-
duced a raisin of stronger and different
flavor from tfst of Valencia. For time
it was thought necessary 10 initiate for-
eign labels and packages in the most ex-
act manner, and sea voyage for our
Own rai.ins was even recommended Mr
Blowers. AFTER exhibiting raisins from
very small vineyard in the town Of
Woodland. at state and county fairs.
planted ten acres. which were in bes>-
ing by 1875. in which year ne marketed |
10000 pounds. That year ne also sod
upwards Of 10000 grape cuttings. These
figures are from the California Hortj- |
cuiturfst for September. 1876. and were |
given by Mr.. Blowers himself. I speak |
of this with e-pecisi exactness because
in various reviews OF the industry. fl IA,
been said that no raisins were made in /
California before 1876. The development
Of The business is sufficiently wonderful /
without taking six or eight years Of hard |
pioneer work from it's history.
After 1876 large sums OF money were
made, and the planting 5f vineyards took
place on greater scale. first in Yolo ana
Soiano counties. afterwards in Los An
geles and San Bernadino. and finally in
Fresno. Tuls-e. Kern. and Kings. where
tns Industry mas nov found lis NOS, [
suitable home upon ricl sandy losm-
often sc-onsiy impregnatei with alksH
salts. which. when not present in ex-
cess. adj vigor - me vine ani hiza
favor 70 the grape.
The process Of making -sisins :. best
studied at Fresno. the leading town o,
ibe central san Joaquin valley region.
Waen l fret saw the Place. in Is77. Il
was small reS village tn toe sIdss Of
vide sireiehes Os sand. 4 sinzle irrfgs-
ti1n ditcn sste-e5 few acres. and men
sers planting fruit trees and vines.
rds sisss fo- the great colonies q Ia-e-
years Esre being surveyed. Miss Aus
in one ot t5s Pisnes5s. sas a. zoyx in
Isr srsli vineyard. T5e.s xz. GRE
y, juggling little nsEsDape-. t1e oxaer =
? 1ic7 offered me- a aslt interest. free. ift,
would take hci5 10 bcon tas rscaezt
raiIsy On esraa and ssIp make 4 city
ign; here" AZ :ne present tine Fresno
lss population % 200. Tee tributary :
,rc.lsrjs contained in 1875 some "a. $50 ,
res. azlt = Eaica srs = bearing age. Z
r1s area devoted 20 isi..n varieties = | q
,rsp<s is aox about = asps xrrs<. TYss :
-ss.trs crop = IsS9 exceeSsss p .ess 90 4 Z
,9un3S. sn5 5y Iss5 tSs Sgut1s-n Pzeiac :
zil-,e5 h.1 s.Eigoss fr1-n Fresno cosa-
:. caieay from Fr=a1. TIE toxin q ne q