_Taking Up._--When, at last, the raisins are sufficiently dried, they must be taken up as quickly as possible. This process again consists of three different labors,--the stacking, assorting and boxing. It is of great importance to know exactly when the raisins have sufficiently dried to be ready for the sweatboxes. This can properly only be ascertained by experience, still a few directions will materially help the inexperienced grower in his judgment. A perfect raisin should be neither too hard nor too soft. A raisin is too soft when, after rolling it between the fingers, the least particle of juice exudes through the cracked skin or meat. Such raisins will “sugar” in course of time, and not keep a year. If the raisins, or a majority of them, on a bunch are too wet, they should be spread to the sun for some time longer. If, however, there are only a few underdried raisins in a bunch, the bunch may be taken in, and the soft raisins clipped off afterwards. A raisin is too dry when, in pressing and rolling it between two fingers, the pulp does not move readily inside the skin. Such overdried raisins will not again become first-class raisins; their skin will always be tough, and their color will be somewhat inferior. If but slightly overdried, they may be brought out by equalizing. To know when the raisins are in a proper condition to take up is most important to every raisin-man, and he should never neglect to watch his trays early and late. Upon his good judgment and watchfulness depend the quality of his crop. To prevent too rapid drying out after the raisins are nearly ready, the practice now is to stack the trays in the field. This stacking simply consists in placing the trays which contain the ready raisins on top of each other, in piles five feet high. On the top of every such pile are placed several loose trays crosswise, so as to shelter the pile from the sun, and possibly even from rain, and other trays are raised up against the sides of the pile in order to exclude as much air as possible. If, however, the raisins are rather underdried, the side trays may be left out so as to allow the raisins to dry more. It is always best to stack the trays before the raisins are fully dried, as they will finish drying and curing in the stack much better than in the sun. The underdried raisins will thus dry just enough, while the overdried ones, or those just right, will not dry much more.