The Alaska daily empire., 1921-04-06
IN RAISIN RESPONSIDLE,FOR
 BIC SALE, CLAIM
Home Brewing Resulting in Rush to Plant Grapes
 In California.

NlSaLiA, Adl., RpTH D. bcllci that the kick" n tne raisin is re- spopsible, directly or indirectly, for the unprecedented rush to plant rasin grapes in the San Joaquin Valley this summer has been ex- pressed by Charles F. Collins, hor- | ticultural commissioner. "Unques- tionably, home brew has entered in- to the problem" he said.
 1 Thousands of acres of orchards are being torn out and cattle lands cut up to make room for grapes. In the entire valley it is estimated there will be growing this summer 25,000.000 grape roots on total acreage of more than 100000 i Ninetyrfive per cent of plantings to heretofore uncultivated lands are to vines.
 Mllionaires, not given to consider ation of prohibitions, unquestioned stimulant to the industry, are re- ported planting vineyards of from ] 800 acres to 5000 acres; big com panfes have been formed to develop new territory and old companies are turning their profits back into more vines. t. sse, 1T
 Home Brew Helps 1 MT. Collins, however, credits the organization of the California Asso- ciated 'Raisin Company, growers cooperative organization, for big portion of the increase in raisin ba intf hn has held up the market to a point where growers have become confi- dent of financial success. The home brew" feature has strength ened the market.
 Some growers have gone hog but business men who know real conditions are banking their for tunes in vines, l believe, simply be- cause the industry is on the firmest foundation of any in California. q do not believe the raisin market will ever be flooded, and I believe | the associated company would be able to sell all it's product if every -acre of California was planted in vines"
 Asked about wine grapes, MT. Col lins said there were hundreds of acres going in. Personally, I fail to understand the reasoning behind this unless growers actually believe prohibition is to fail"
 Sold for Wine
 Nearly 75 per cent of the table grapes grown in Tulare county last year. Mr Collins continued, were sold for wine purposes, bringing more money for wine making than for table grapes. He expects sim
 liar conditions to exist this year
 "It do not believe we need worry over the kick in the raisin,' de- clared District Attorney Fred C.. Scott, of Tulare country, himself n farmer q know that is one of the chief causes for this heavy planting of raisin grapes, but despite the fact that prohibition is not prohib- iting as yet, conditions are better than they were before. nor do II believe the raisin will create any
 
 brew with raisin to help it out will not be a3 bad as conditions were with the open saloon'
 Many experienced farmers, how ever dispute the statement that hundreds of acres of fine citrus orchards are being torn out to be replaced by grapes. merely because of the high price raisins are bring ing. Most of this acreage, they say, had to come out anyway be- cause too enthusiastic citrus grow ters planted their trees too far away from sheltered hillside coves and now find it necessary to change to "a more profitable crop. Naturally, they have taken to raisins.