THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 19 



is cut off completely and the remaining branch is pruned back to two 

 eyes. In the second year the young shoots from the vine are allowed 

 to grow to ten inches or so long, when all are cut away except two 

 of the strongest. Next winter again these are pruned so to leave 

 only two eyes on each, or four buds on the whole vine. In the suc- 

 ceeding years the branches are gradually increased in number, but 

 always pruned back to two eyes. After the vine is five years old, it 

 is seldom increased as to branches; it is then always pruned back to 

 the same number of spurs. It can be said that the Denia growers 

 pay less attention to the quality of the raisins, and prune more to 

 attain quantity. They leave more spurs on their vines than do those 

 in Malaga, and in this respect resemble many of our own California 

 growers, who frequently leave from twelve to fifteen spurs on a vine. 

 The vines in Denia are also raised higher above the ground than in 

 Malaga, very much as we have been in the habit of pruning our own 

 vines. At the age of three years the vines come into bearing; but 

 no fine raisins are made until the vines are five or six years old. 



Dipping and Scalding. The dipping process is one of the greatest 

 importance, and gives the peculiar characteristics to the Valencia or 

 Denia raisins. As a similar process will sometime or other be more 

 generally used in California, a more detailed description may prove 

 interesting to California growers. We can probably not do better 

 than to imitate them, although in mechanical appliances we will 

 readily improve upon their methods. The dipping is always done at 

 the drying ground or secadero. The larger part of the dipping appa- 

 ratus, or the kettles, are placed under the ground so as to save heat 

 and fuel. A trench eight or nine feet in length is dug to the depth of 

 three or four feet. At one end is built a chimney protruding three or 

 four feet above the level of the ground. In the other end of the 

 trench is built a brick wall with an opening for feeding the fire. 

 Some trenches are lined inside with bricks, making them more per- 

 manent and solid. On the top of this flue, and on a level with the 

 ground, are built the kettles or boilers, containing not less than twenty 

 gallons each. The boiler nearest the fire entrance is destined to con- 

 tain a solution of lye or ashes, the oneliext to the chimney being for 

 boiling water only. 



The lye is made from the ashes of burnt vine cuttings, together with 

 lime and sometimes some salt, by men who have acquired the art 

 from years of experience, and who know by the appearance of the 

 scalded grapes whether the solution is too strong or too weak. 

 If too weak, the skins of the grapes will be insufficiently cut, which 

 will delay the drying of the grapes, and cause them to rot if the 

 weather is damp and foggy. If, again, the lye solution is too strong, 

 the skin will be destroyed and the berries seriously injured. 



The grapes to be dipped should be perfectly ripe. If dipped before, 

 they will become inferior both as to color and taste. The perfect 

 ripeness is a most important point. The grapes are picked in baskets 

 of about ten pounds each, and carried to the scalder. The man 

 nearest him on the right fills a perforated ladle with about twenty 

 pounds of the grapes. The ladle is made either of wire netting or of 



