STATE ACIKICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



215 



nectarine; and all these fruits not only grow there in the greatest profusion, 

 but they are ready for eastern shipment from two weeks to a month earlier 

 than any other portion of the State. The good work that was done on 

 California raisins last year created throughout the East and West a 

 greater and sharper demand than ever for the California raisin, and every 

 packer here of reliable or well known brands has had his capacity taxed 

 to the utmost to keep up with this demand. The berries this year in some 

 sections were disappointing as to size, and considerable trouble was found 

 to secure fruit to make fancy grades, so that a good portion of the product 

 has been run into Loose, for which, however, the large eastern trade prin- 

 cipally called. Improvements in packing continue to be made every year, 

 and even now at the larger factories work is almost entirely done by steam 

 power. 



In most cases imitation of Spanish labels and wrappers have been dis- 

 carded this year, and something distinctly Californian used. 



The outlook for the raisin industry of California is more than brilliant. 

 We havethe United States for a market, and when we have supplied that, 

 we can go abroad. The writer of this stated a few years ago that it was 

 only a question of time when California raisins would drive the imported 

 from American markets forever. That time is rapidly approaching. It 

 may be of some interest to know what quantity of fresh muscat grapes 

 were consumed in making these raisins this year. Here are the figures: 

 Sixteen million pounds raisins, equaling fifty-eight million pounds of fresh 

 grapes. This will equal three thousand cars of green grapes alone for rai- 

 sins, but it must be remembered that this does not include the great trains 

 of these muscat grapes shipped east in a fresh state, nor does it include the 

 vast quantities used for home consumption and in canning, etc. Truly, 

 this is a wonderful land. 



At present, stocks here are about exhausted, and we shall enter the new 

 year with small supplies, and firm in the faith that next year, with the new 

 vineyards coming into bearing, and good weather, that California will turn 

 out in the neighborhood of one million five hundred thousand boxes of rai- 

 sins, or thirty million pounds, consuming in their manufacture at least one 

 hundred and five million pounds of fresh muscat grapes. 



We also append herewith the production of California raisins from the 

 year 1873 to 1887, showing the growth of this industry: 



1873.. .._ 6,000 boxes. 



1874 9,000 boxes. 



1875 11,000 boxes. 



1870 19,000 boxes. 



1877 32,000 boxes. 



1878 18,000 boxes. 



1879 _ 65,000 boxes. 



1880 75,000 boxes. 



1881 90,000 boxes. 



1882 115,000 boxes. 



1883 140,000 boxes. 



1884 175,000 boxes. 



1885 500,000 boxes. 



1886 703,000 boxes. 



1887 ..- 800,000 boxes. 



Previous to 1873 but few raisins were put up here, and as might be sup- 

 posed, of very inferior quality. The product continued to increase slowly 

 until the year 1882, when new vineyards coming into bearing, it jumped 

 rapidly until present figures were reached. California raisins are now 

 mostly sold by the producers in sweat-boxes to some regular packer, and 

 bring according to quality from 4 to 6 cents per pound, a price which it is 

 hardly necessary to state, returns the grower a handsome profit. 



California Prunes. — The outturn this year we estimate at one million 

 seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds. This was the "off" year for 

 prunes, and the crop was some less than last year, though in size the fruit 



