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
Colure is quite common, much more so on sandy soil.
Sunscald is frequent but not bad. I saw quite a number of grapes scalded
on every vine, but not enough to warrant any special measures to be
taken as a protection. The grapes have during this and last year ripened
by the first days of September, but it is generally much later, or at
about the 10th of September, when the vintage usually commences. The
picking was, until last year, done by white labor, but the same was so
very difficult to obtain that Chinese were then employed. They gave
satisfaction to some, while to others not. Some of the principal growers
are this year (1889) going to employ Chinese help at $1.25 per day, at
which price they board themselves.
_The Crop._--The grapes are dried on redwood trays made of sawed redwood
shingles, three-eighths of an inch thick. The trays are made two by
three feet. The best growers are this year going to assort the grapes
when putting them on the trays. This was never done before, but will be
of great advantage. A tray will average eighteen pounds of fresh grapes,
which will take about one month to dry,--never less than three weeks.
There is but little second crop, generally none that can be saved.
September is the warmest month, or else the grapes could not be dried.
At a temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit, it was found that grapes
scalded or cooked while on the trays. This is, however, very rarely the
case. From ninety-five to one hundred degrees is considered the best
temperature at which the best raisins are made. The sweatboxes used
formerly were two by three feet and ten inches deep; but of late eight
inches and six inches in depth is considered the best, on account of the
facility with which they can be handled. As to packing, many advocate
twenty-pound boxes, that are only four and one-half inches deep,
contending that they will hold twenty pounds of loose raisins. Few
Dehesas are put up, the general brands being three crown London layers,
and three crown loose Muscats. Some are also put up in fancy paper
boxes. This year the valley has two packing companies, who buy raisins
in sweatboxes, and pay from four to five and a half cents per pound. The
yield per acre is from two to three tons of green grapes, I should say
this year nearer two than three tons. I saw, however, some that would
average five tons per acre, but this land was favorably situated in a
moister place than is generally found in Sweetwater valley, and the
vines were yet growing on August 21st. I heard of much greater yields,
so extraordinary indeed that they are not likely to return again. From
five to seven tons to the acre is a really rare yield, even on the best
land, where the water is within six or seven feet of the surface. This
shows me conclusively that judicious irrigation would materially
increase the crop, and greatly improve the uniform size of the berries.
The profit on an acre of bearing Muscat vines is from fifty to one
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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