Journal of Agriculture. [ii Jan., 1909.- 



The operation of dipping is very snnple. It is performed by means- 

 of a wire basket llxed to a long handle, known as a "ca/o,"' in which 

 the grapes are placed. The lye is kept almost on the l)oil and the 

 time of immersion is \er\- short — not more than one second about. The 

 process is illustrated in i)hotograph Xo. 3 which shows the cazo being 

 filled with grapes by an assistant on the right hand side of the man 

 who does the dipping. It is then ])lunged lidldU into the lye and 

 lifted out again ; just dip]>ed thriaigh it in fact. .After draining for 

 a moment it is emptied on to the drving trav b\ other workmen on his 

 left. The grapes are spread evenly on the trays which are then ex- 

 posed to the sun on the dr\ing groiind. One man working the cazo, 

 with six assistants, is expected to dip four tons of raisins per day. 



The trays used differ a good deal from our wooden ones. Thev are 

 made of bamLwos fixed together bv transverse wires and stouter bamboos. 

 Their construction may be seen in photographs Nos. 3 and 7. The 

 material used is entirelv a question of convenience. In Spain, labour 

 is chea[> and wood is scarce and expensive. Bamboos, known as Cana, 

 alx)und and cost practically nothing. Throughout the countrv they are 

 a familiar feature and are used for all sorts of purposes. These raisin 

 drying trays are home made during periods of the year when work is 

 slack. 



Rinsing before and after Dipping. 



In their recent report on Raisin dr\ing in Tunis (issued by the Tunis 

 Government) M. M. Minangoin and (Houston attach great importance 

 to this point. They refer to preliminary rinsing as being much practised 

 bv Denia dryers. As the\' point out, the lye becomes more and more 

 soiled by foreign matter, such as earth, dust, &c., which may be on the 

 grapes and which accumulate in it until, after a certain time, it becomes 

 black and muddy and must be changed. Rinsing the grapes in fresh 

 water before dipping removes much dirt and rubbish and makes the lye 

 last a good deal longer. 



Rinsing after dipping is less usual and its utility is questionable. 

 Though it removes excess of alkali, and should thus improve the flavour 

 of the raisins, it seems to render them more liable to the growth of 

 moulds, if wetted by rain or dew during the drying process. The 

 slight excess of alkali appears to have a preservative influence. The 

 above mentioned authorities seern inclined to think, howe^•er, that washing, 

 provided due precaution, be taken against rain or dew in drving, would 

 prevent stickiness due to excess of alkali and thus give a drier and better 

 quality raisin. 



On the vineyard I visited the grapes were not washed either before 

 or after dipping. It was only after mv return to France that T read 

 the Tunisian nqxirt in which rinsing is referred to. 



Drying. 



Though the trays differ from ours, the general appearance of a drying 

 ground in Denia is very similar to what we are accustome-d to, (see 

 photograph No. 4.) The fruit is turned in t'ne ordinary way bv placing 

 an empty trav over the full une, and r.ipidh rotating the two so< that 

 the grai)es are transferred to the lower one. fresh portions of the bunches 

 becoming expcKsed to sun and air. In a general way, flrying is con- 

 ducted on very similar lines to those followed by raisin dryers in Vic- 

 toria, the ehief dilTerenc,' consisting in the greater need for i->rotection 



