Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-06-24
California Raisin Industry.


grown and prospered, Notwithstanding
the manipulations of some large com
mercial packers, says Viva A. Mowat
in st. Louis Interstate Grocer.
The raisin industry is of great i'm
portance in the sunny San Joaquin val
ley, normal crop now being about
10000 to $4,000 tons of raisins, count
ing all varieties. No food known is
more nutritious and healthful than the
raisin, with its simmered down nectar
and the CLEAN of California S sunshine
still lingering in this delicious fruit
There are several varieties of raisins,
the variety best known being the
" Museatel. This raisin is used for
cluster, table raisins and for seeding.
Next in Importance are the Sultana and
Thompson seedless.
The various varieties are planted in
about the same way, but are trained
differently. The table and wine grapes
are planted by much the same method:
Strong canes of new wood are taken
and clipped to a length of from Il to
"a inches, 1S-inch canes being favored
by most vineyardists. Care must be
exercised by the primer to select these
canes from strong, healthy parent stock
Some vineyardists prefer to root
plant the following year, but many of
the growers plant these cuttings in the
fields, replacing any dead ones the fol
lowing spring with "rooted'' vines. 1t
is usually much less expensive to plant
cuttings as about rs per cent of
these canes will take root and thrive.
The Muscat vine is planted Sx1O feet
apart, two eyes Cor buds) being left
above ground.
The success of a vineyard depends
largely on the preparation and condi-
ton of the soil at time of planting,
together with careful selection of cut
tings or rooted vines; thorough cult
walton and care the first year being
very necessary to insure the future sue
cess of the vineyard.
A full crop cannot be expected until
the vine is from five to eight years old
The reason for this being the Muscat
(Muscatel, when cured into raisine) is
an extremely delicate grape and,
though the young vine is heavy with
blossom, cold wind or rain during the
poisoning season will cause the form
ing grapes to drop from the vines in
stead of setting Often the ground
is green under the vine from the falling
of tiny grapes. The flower of the Mus
cat is very light in pollen, and unfa-
not to be fertile, leaving the grower
with a "short CROP As the vines
attain age, they are less susceptible to
climates conditions, but always the
Muscat is the most delicate of grapes.
and grower cannot be sure of his crop
until after the fruit sets, during the
last week of May and the first week in
June. Even then there is still danger
from insects, cutworms and extreme
heat. Danger of frost is not entirely
passed until May 1, though the latest
killing frost the writer ever saw was
on April %, 1899.
The raisin grower 8 life has it's wor-
ries and anxieties, just as has every
other industry. Even when you feel
sure of your crop and the grapes are
actually drying on the trays, an unex-
pected rain may come up before it is
possible to "stack traye.' This was
the case last year. The packers con-
tract with growers reads: ''Free from
rain damage The loss falls more on
the grower than on the packer, as the
average packer will only take these
raisins in at a much reduced figure.
Unless all would accept at contract
price, the packer who pays full price
loses money. A light rain does not in
jure raisins for seeding purposes, pro-
vided the grower is careful, cures his
crop and keeps the fruit free from sand.
A heavy rain will cause the raisins
(even though thoroughly cured) to
sweat" in the boxes if kept through
the summer heat, causing sugaring or
granulation to set in. Raisins free from
rain damage will keep for two years if
well cared for and thoroughly cured to
begin with.
Raisin growers have for several years
been forced to accept less for theil
product than the cost of production, yet
the consumer has had little benefit from
these low prices, the difference in price
being swallowed up by the middlemen
The retailer has probably benefited to
the greatest extent, though the writer
found the retailers in st. Louis selling
raisins as cheaply as would be consis
tent with fair profits. Jobbers were
for the most part, charging a big profit
but this profit was largely cut by the
small quantities ordered by the retail
grocers, thus greatly adding to the cos
of doing business. The writer wa,
amazed to learn some jobbers actually
break cases to sell to a retail grocer
the latter buying only as much as many
family in the north and west would
order at time. Where the retail gro
Ger buys in 10 to 25-case lots he un
doubtedly receives a lower price from
the jobber, and is in a position to pusl
the goods out to the consumer, turl
his money quicker and thereby make
/ larger profit.
A man can subsist longer on a givei
quantity of raisins than almost an.
other known food. One pound of rails
ms being worth, in food value, si
pounds of apples, five pounds of ban
anas, IL eggs, about three pounds o
2 beer, etc. Yet we complain of the hig
t cost of living, when we can live wei
on raisins and rice, both of which ar
I inexpensive foods.
Since this article was started, a fros
has occurred nearly all over the stat
of California, heavily damaging praC