The Raisin Industry: A practical treatise on the raisin grapes, their history, culture and curingEisen, Gustavus A.
History
The Raisin Industry: A practical treatise on the raisin grapes, their history, culture and curing
Eisen, Gustavus A.
Raisins; Viticulture -- California
In Central California, the raisin industry is gradually spreading from
the original center around Fresno, the greater freedom from rain and the
better facilities for irrigation being great inducements for the
settlers to engage in the growing and curing of the raisin grapes. The
San Joaquin valley is especially adapted to the production of raisins,
the Fresno raisin district being by far the largest, and now producing
almost one-half of the raisin crop of the State. In San Bernardino
county and district, the raisins are also grown to great profit and with
great facility, and are of equal quality with those of the interior of
the State. But the raisin industry is here gradually giving way to the
culture of oranges and other citrus fruits, and the increase in the
raisin acreage has therefore not been so great as in the San Joaquin
valley. In El Cajon, irrigation is not used, and the raisins produced
there are very similar to the Malaga raisins, but through absence of
irrigation the crops are smaller than in any of the other districts in
the State. In Los Angeles and Orange county district, the raisin
industry has suffered immensely from the ravages of the vine plague, an
as yet entirely mysterious disease, and the output of raisins there has
dwindled down to almost nothing. But the farmers of the district are
ready to replant whenever there are any prospects that the vines will do
well again.
In the interior of California, north of Solano and Yolo counties, large
quantities of raisin grapes have been planted during the last few years,
both in the foothill valleys, out on the plains, and in the bottom lands
of the Sacramento, Yuba and Feather rivers, etc. Raisins of very good
quality have been produced in that part of the State for years in
limited quantities, but it is yet a question to what extent that section
can compete with the central and southern parts of the State. In Sutter
county around Yuba City the cultivation of a seedless raisin grape is
advancing rapidly, the raisins made from it being of excellent quality
and finding a ready market.
_Acreage and Crops._--The quantity of raisin-vines planted cannot be
estimated correctly; but it is certain that at least sixty-five thousand
acres of Muscat vines are now set out in the State, including grapes in
bearing, as well as vines lately set out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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