Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-12-14
Prohibition
MAKES RAIS|N
POPULAR FRUIT
Former Omaha Man Return
ing From California Tells
OF Exceptional De-
mand for Grapes.

fruit family and a partner of the
once Iowly prune, has at last come
into its own and has taken place as
an aristocrat among fruits and deli
cacies to pamper the taste OF cpl.
cureans.' said Harry +. Tevis OF
Los Angeles, Cal, a former resident
al the South Side, who made the
rounds OF number of old friends at
the stock yards Saturday. !.
But a few years ago" continued
Mr.. Tevis, "a day was set apart
in California called 'Raisin day.,
when the people of the state were
urged to make special effort to
consume raisins. On tina! day raissln
bread. raisiu pie and raisin cake,
with stewed raisins, were the prin-
cipal articles OF food Of every man,
woman and child in the Golden Gate
state. Later a national raisin day
was urged to increase the consump-
ton OF the fruit.
Growers in Panic.
In the Santa Clara and San Joa-
auin valleys of California ralsin
grape growers were in panic, with
thousands of tons of raislns await
ing a market. Specially packed
pound cartons were put up and re-
Jailed at S cents. Department stores
pushed the raisins as side issue to
their other sales. Seedless raisins
of the finest quality, put up IN pounGt
cartons. could hardly be sold for III
cents a box. three for quarter.
"Prohibition has made the raisln
king. The demand for raisins for
making 'raisin wine and 'raisin
whisky is rapidly becoming nation
vide Those beverages, are beng
manufactured all over the country.
In the apple growing districts OF the
country, where there is large pro-
duction of cider, the apple juice is
given an extra kick by the addition
OF few raisins.
Big Christmas Demand. I.
"Tbe California Association Raisln
company controls IS per cent OF the
Pacific coast raisin acreage and IS
cported to be several weeks behind
or its deliveries to the wholesale
trade. As Christmas approaches the
raisin demand is getting heavier ana
before the first of 1920 predict
raisins will retail at 50 cents pound.
"When the prohibition amend
ment to the constitution OF the
United States was adopted, people
OF California, declared their state
would 90 bankrupt, that their grape
growing lands would be lett to the
weeds. Some of the owners of large
tracts of grape growing land let
their vineyards die out and made ar.
rangements for the production OF
wheat,
Plant More Grapes.
B. "Now that the price of raisins is
soaring, vineyards of the PACING
coast are being rehabilitated, mil
lions of new vines are being trans
planted and the raisir industry has
taken on new Wife, with promise
of forging ahead of all other Pacific
coast industries"
Mr.. Tevis said prunes were
also making heavy advances ir
price, due to an increased consump.
ton by thousands as dessert and the
use BY great many in the brewing
of intoxicants.
He said fermented prune juice
had an alluring kick which was
said to not require as much handling
as intoxicants made from ralslns.
He also said the orange came third
on the list Of California products
that had taken an enormous jump
in price, but that the orange boost
in price was due more to the manip-
'ulation of the market than to any
unprecedented demand.
Oranges Are Popular.
Oranges said Mr.. Tevis, ARE
Just as plentiful in California, with
probably a few exceptions, where
frost has injured the crop. as they
ever were. The war caused oranges
to take the place of other food sent
10 our soldiers overseas, which
made an increase in the demand,
But the demand for oranges is re-
turning to normal with no decrease
in the retail price.
"ThiS is caused by combine OF
Pacific coast orange growers, whose
association has sent out orders to
market but first and second grade
fruit and destroy the rest, and as 4
consequence thousands of dozens
of oranges are throwed in gullics
and pits, near the orange orchards
and left to rot.
& "A few years ago. oranges that
are now selling for 50 cents dozer
in Omaha, were peddled on the
streets for and 10 cents dozen
in the cities of the Pacific coast.
Orchardists threw their "culis"
away and peddlers loaded them up