12 THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 



season, etc. Such being the case, all the more interest is attached to 

 those localities and districts where the raisin industry flourishes, and 

 where there is every probability that it will remain a success. 



THE MALAGA DISTRICT. 



Extent and Age of the District. Malaga has been known to 

 export raisins since 1295 A. D., but must have been a raisin-producing 

 district centuries before. The raisin cult, then, is no doubt of 

 Phoenician origin, and has been practiced in the same locality for two 

 thousand years or more. Under the Romans the raisin industry 

 was continued, but appears to have deteriorated and later on to 

 have been abandoned altogether, as the local tradition credits the 

 Moors with having re-introduced the raisin grape into Velez Malaga. 

 The raisin district of Malaga extends along the southern coast of 

 Spain for a distance of sixty or seventy miles. The district is subdi- 

 vided into several other districts. Thus, the subdistrict of Malaga 

 proper occupies a plain eighteen miles long by nine miles wide, in the 

 northeast corner of which is situated the town of Malaga. 



The best part of the whole district is, however, found at Velez 

 Malaga, situated northeast of Malaga proper. It was here the raisin 

 grape was first planted by the Romans or Phoenicians, and it was here 

 also the devastating phylloxera first made its appearance. The raisin 

 vineyards extend here not over a vega or plain, but occupy the fer- 

 tile country along the coast or the literal towards Malaga proper. 



Beyond Velez Malaga to Algaroba, the Muscatel grape is of infe- 

 rior quality, and is greatly superseded by the red Muscats, principally 

 exported to France. 



Another district is Marbella, on the coast, and in the interior we 

 find Ronda and Albunol. Of the principal towns in these districts, the 

 population of Malaga is 120,000, that of Velez Malaga 24,000, of Mar- 

 bella 7,700, and of Ronda 19,000. 



Climate. The climate of Malaga is the very mildest. Frost is 

 almost unknown, and is never heavy. The average temperature of 

 Malaga during the winter months of November to January is 56 degrees 

 Fahrenheit, while that of Pau in France is 41, and that of Nice 47. 

 Malaga is well sheltered on the north and east by mountains, but is open 

 to the south. It is the most equitable climate of Europe, although the 

 winds are sometimes trying. The summer is v^ery tempered. The air 

 is, however, moist, and fog, while rare, is not entirely absent. Rain 

 sometimes falls during the growing season of the grapes, and quite 

 frequently during the drying season. But the fog is warm and not 

 specially injurious to the grapes, the latter often growing within reach 

 of the spray on the seashore. 



Soil. The soil of the Malaga vineyards varies considerably, the 

 best being a reddish clayey loam with much sand and gravel. But we 

 have also other varieties of soil, sucii as the white ash, gray alluvial 

 soils, and the very sandy loam on the hills. 



Location of the Vineyards. In former years, the vineyards were 

 principally located on the hillsides, only occasionally extending to 

 the level plains. Of late, however, the hillside vineyards l;ave 



