The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-10-13
be watched carefully during the follow


ing weeks that Old Sol Q1O degrees in
the shade) does not burn them. Every
few days they are turned; not by turn
ing each separate, bunch of grapes,-I
they do things faster on the coast
but simply by placing an empty tray
over the loaded one, turning the two,
and carrying the now empty tray on to
the next. In the course of few weeks
the grapes become brown and shrunk-
en-, the juice evaporates and leaves the
raisin. The cure of the raisin grape is
entirely natural one, therefore it is
clean.
This cleanliness, fortunately accom-
panies the raisin to the packing house.
The packing of the raisin is done en-
tirely by white women and children,
with few men to run the heavy ma
chimes and handle the boxes of pre-
pared product. The raisins are brought
from the vineyards in large, deep box
es, and are graded according to variety
and size. The boxes are then taken to
the packers and ranged around long,
broad tables. These packers who are
all women, do the grading. First the
large punches of choice raisins are chos
en-. Each packer has small pair of scis-
sors and roll of ribbon. The bunch of
raisins is carefully examined, every
poor or small raisin is clipped off and
thrown away, the cluster is shaped,
trimmed and tied with ribbon, wrapped
in tissue paper and carefully tied in a
small box. These are the "clusters"
and grade as l., H., Ill, and w.
"Crown clusters" the ". Crown be-
ing the finest This takes the finest
cluster raisins from the box, which is
then passed on to second table where
the "loose-mixed" raisins are packed
These are small clusters that are not
!, sufficiently fine for the cluster pack, but
are too good for the stemmer. From
here the box goes to the stemming ma.
chine. This machine is large box-like
affair having somewhat the appearance
of combined harvester in reduced
form. The remains of the box of rails
ins is thrown into hopper of this ma
. chine and the fruit passes through &
series of rollers which press and twist
= off the stems without breaking thu
= raisin. The stems are famed out Of
chute at the top, while the raisins
: passing over number of sieves of diff
. ferent sizes, are graded automatically
and pour out of four different opening
- as "First and Second Class Loose" ant
"First and Second Seedless." The lat
~ ter are the small undeveloped raisin
" that appear on each bunch, not tn
seedless of the Princess or Sultana va
" rieties.
: The entire operation, picking ant
- packing, is performed by white labor
- School children, and often teachers
6 spend their vacations in the packin
~ houses.
70 Seeded raisins are prepared IN dit
,t ferent way, and all the finer cluste
,+ raisins are first stemmed From tn
g stemming machine they are passed o1
10 er a series of small disc knives whic
Il cut minute cash in the side of eac
i separate raisin. From the knives tn
10 fruit passes through hard rubber ro
!, lers which press the seeds from tn
,s raisin and carry them against scrape
so where they are caught and disposed .
&c The raisins meantime are treated to
of bath which cleanses them from a
of dust Ia treatment given to all the raj
" ins before packing) and then are sent
~ the women packers who place them
w tissue paper and pack them in on
bo pound cartons.
" This is but superficial and hurrie
in description of the raisin industry
,d have tried to show that the Californ
ba raisin is picked and packed under be
Id ter conditions than foreign produ
,lv could be. That they are better qua
bs ity must leave you to judge Abo1
or all, however, get rid of that foolish i'd
, that the raisin seeds cause append
On citis. Any doctor will brand that sto
lo as fake. r. w.
III No roads are so rough as those tn