490 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



for running expenses. It wonld probably be well to combine similar 

 work in other horticultural industries in the same establishment, at 

 least at first. 



The gross returns of the vineyards of California are, at present, not 

 far from $15,000,000 a year. The United States alone would consume 

 ten times this amount of our grapes, raisins, grape juice and wine if 

 the}^ could be supplied regularly, of good quality and at moderate cost. 

 The cost to the consumer will depend partly on our adoption of the 

 most economical and efficient methods of production, but principally 

 upon a logical and uniform co-operative control of distribution. The 

 qualitj^ will depend on the education of the producer in better methods 

 and ideals, and, in this, the College of Agriculture should be one of the 

 most effective agencies. 



Mr. Dore. I would like to ask what per cent of sugar should the 

 grapes contain when they are picked. 



Prof. Biolettl That is a question that I have been trying to investi- 

 gate and trying to get the opinion of the farmers who have been raising 

 grapes for many years, and they all seem to think it should be some- 

 where about 25 to 26 per cent. I have very little personal experience in 

 raising raisins, and I have been trying to find out from farmers who 

 have been making raisins for many years, and most of them do not know. 

 A few of them think it should be at least 32 per cent, but growers who 

 have really taken pains to ascertain the quantity of sugar seem to think 

 that there should be 25 to 26 per cent. 



Mr. Dorr. Have you told us whether there is some way that is prac- 

 ticable for the vineyardist of average intelligence and push to know 

 what percentage their grapes contain when they are picked? Perhaps 

 I am displaying my ignorance in asking this question, but I hope it will 

 be beneficial to others as well as to myself. 



Prof. Bioletti. It is a very simple method of determining the 

 amount of sugar. 



]\Ir. Dorr. I would lilce to ask the people here who live in Fresno 

 County, who are practically all raisin growers, how many have found 

 out or know how? I am curious to know that. 



How many of you here have ever tested grapes to know the amount 

 of sugar when you begin picking for raisins? -(Seven members raise 

 their hands.) 



Prof. Biolettl A matter of general public knowledge, then. It is 

 a very difficult thing to do ; it requires thought and intelligence. 



Mr. Kaller. What do you think would be the most important thing 

 to do to improve the production of raisins? There are various things 

 that can be done, of course. We all know that pruning will greatly 

 improve them, and that is what most people probably have been doing. 

 But what about our ground ? A good many of us here think we have 

 tilled it, and a good many of us think that we have been working with 

 virgin ground; but I do not think our ground is so virgin. It has been 



