The raisin districts of the world are not large, and while for centuries every effort was made to extend the planting of raisin grapes and their curing into raisins, few of these efforts have been crowned with success. While raisin grapes may grow and be turned into raisins in almost every part of the Mediterranean basin, experience has demonstrated that it has only proved a paying business in comparatively few localities. The reasons of this are not fully apparent; but they are evidently dependent both upon climatic conditions and upon the capability of the natives to learn and profit by the experiences of others, and upon their enterprise in venturing upon a new industry. On the other hand, it is not likely that, even with extensive experiments and with the aid of large capital, the growing and curing of the raisin grapes could be very extensively extended. The question there as well as here is not one alone of agricultural consideration, but a financial problem dependent upon the labor supply, the facilities for shipping, climatic conditions during the curing season, etc. Such being the case, all the more interest is attached to those localities and districts where the raisin industry flourishes, and where there is every probability that it will remain a success. THE MALAGA DISTRICT. _Extent and Age of the District._--Malaga has been known to export raisins since 1295 A. D., but must have been a raisin-producing district centuries before. The raisin cult, then, is no doubt of Phœnician origin, and has been practiced in the same locality for two thousand years or more. Under the Romans the raisin industry was continued, but appears to have deteriorated and later on to have been abandoned altogether, as the local tradition credits the Moors with having re-introduced the raisin grape into Velez Malaga. The raisin district of Malaga extends along the southern coast of Spain for a distance of sixty or seventy miles. The district is subdivided into several other districts. Thus, the subdistrict of Malaga proper occupies a plain eighteen miles long by nine miles wide, in the northeast corner of which is situated the town of Malaga. The best part of the whole district is, however, found at Velez Malaga, situated northeast of Malaga proper. It was here the raisin grape was first planted by the Romans or Phœnicians, and it was here also the devastating phylloxera first made its appearance. The raisin vineyards extend here not over a _vega_ or plain, but occupy the fertile country along the coast or the litoral towards Malaga proper. Beyond Velez Malaga to Algaroba, the Muscatel grape is of inferior quality, and is greatly superseded by the red Muscats, principally exported to France. Another district is _Marbella_, on the coast, and in the interior we find _Ronda_ and _Albuñol_. Of the principal towns in these districts, the population of Malaga is 120,000, that of Velez Malaga 24,000, of Marbella 7,700, and of Ronda 19,000.