VIKE GROWING II25 



Soudan. For convenience in his work of study the writer divides this 

 regions into three zones : i) subtropical seaboard, which comprises the delta 

 of the Nile as far as Cairo ; 2) subtropical desert, containing the valley of 

 the Nile from Cairo to Assouan and the western oases ; 3) tropical desert, 

 comprising the parts of the Nile valley where the date is cultivated between 

 Assouan and Khartoum. In the accompanying Table the particulars 

 recorded in 12 meteorological stations of Egypt and the Soudan are con- 

 densed, and the varieties of date palms characteristic of each region are 

 grouped. It is seen from this table that i) the fresh and moist seaboard 

 zone produces few dates for drying and exporting, the production being 

 exclusively dates which are eaten fresh (Bint Aischa, Hayany, Kobi, Sa- 

 man}' and Zagloul) ; 2) superior qualit}' drying dates are produced in the 

 moderately hot and dry parts of the subtropical desert zone ; 3) the hot- 

 test and least moist part of the subtropical desert zone, and the tropical 

 desert zone, produce almost exclusively the hard dates, self-drying, verj- 

 easih" kept and transported, which make up so considerable a part of the 

 food of the Arab population. 



8 74 - Raisin Production in the United States. — hussmann George c, in United states vine growing 



Department of Agriculture Bullet in'So. 349, 15 pages, 3 fig. -f- 9 tables. Washington, D. C, 

 March 17, 1916. 



With the exception of very small quantities produced in Arizona, Utah 

 and New Mexico, all the raisins produced in the United States come from 

 California (i). 



The first introduction into Cahfornia of the species of vines intended 

 for the production of raisins date back to 1851, in which j^ear the Muscat 

 of Alexandria was sown ; in 1861, plants of the stocks of Gordo Blanco and 

 Sultana were imported from Spain, and stocks of red and white Currants 

 from the Crimea. 



The first raisins were produced in California in the vallej^ of San Ber- 

 nardino. In 1873, the production of raisins having amounted to 120 000 

 lbs., the indu.stry began to assume some commercial importance for Cali- 

 fornia ; the appended summary^ of the trade shows how rapid its progress 

 was and is. In 1892 the production of California equalled that of Spain ; 

 at present it is about three times as great. The annual consumption of rai- 

 sins per inhabitant is about i 1/2 ^bs. in the United States against 5 lbs. in 

 Great Britain. 



At present, 1 10 000 acres are devoted to the growing of grapes to be dried 

 for raisins ; out of 58 countries of California, 11 produce a quantity of any 

 commercial importance, the county of Fresno alone suppUes about 60 % of 

 the entire State production. The greater part of the production is yielded 

 by small vineyards of 10 to 50 acres each. 



The Alexandria IMuscatel, which is the most important raisin stock, 

 always, in addition to the first crop for drying, supplies a good second crop 

 which is made into wines or alcohol, and sometimes a third. The grafting hosts 

 suited to it are, in decreasing order of merit : Riparia x Rupestris 3 309, 



(i) vSee B. May 1916, No. 558. (Ed.) 



5 



