THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 7 



Ivytes' translation of Dodoen's "Herbal," in the description of dif- 

 ferent varieties of vines, that "Small raysens, commonly called 

 Corantes, but more rightly raysens of Corinthe. The fruit is called 

 in the shoppes of the countrie,* passulae de Corinthe; in French, 

 raisins de Corinthe; in base Almaigne (Dutch) Corinthea; in English, 

 Currantes, and small raysens of Corynthe." Here, then, is indicated 

 for the first time that the true and correct name should be ' ' raisins of 

 Corinth. ' ' But we need not follow this evolution any longer; there 

 can be no possible doubt that the name currant, the one now 

 accepted for this class of raisins, is derived from the town of Corinth, 

 on the mainland of Greece, the Morea of our days, the Pelopon- 

 nesus of the ancients. Until the time when the Turks conquered 

 Greece, the port of Corinth was the principal point of export for this 

 class of raisins, and while, after the subjection of Greece this com- 

 merce entirely ceased, still this fruit always continued to bear the 

 name by which it first became known to commerce. 



MUSCATELS. 



The principal and most valued class of raisins are the Muscatels 

 or Muscats. They all derive their name from the Muscatel or Muscat 

 grape, from which these raisins are made. As to the origin of the 

 name Muscat, opinions differ. The most popular one is that the grape 

 got its name from the supposed musky flavor peculiar to this variety of 

 grape. It is, however, far more likely that the name is a very ancient 

 one, and derived from the I^atin word Musca^mQamng a fly, these fine 

 grapes when drying being especially attractive to flies. The Romans 

 called this grape, "Uva Apiaria," meaning bee grapes, or grapes 

 beloved by bees, from the fact that the bees are especially attracted to 

 these grapes when they are being dried. The Muscat or Muscatel 

 would then not originally designate a certain variety of grapes, but 

 grapes used for drying generally. In the course of time the name was 

 transferred to or especially given to the best grape for drying purposes, 



the Muscatel of our own times. 



ff 



DEHESA RAISINS. 



The finest or at least the most expensive brand of raisins made is 

 the Dehesa raisin of Malaga. They are produced from the Muscatel 

 variety and the name they bear has an interesting origin, giving us at 

 the same time an insight in the development of the agricultural and hor- 

 ticultural resources of Spain. The word ' ' Dehesa " is found by reference 

 to a good Spanish dictionary to mean pasture ground. The " Dehesa " 

 raisins then are pasture-ground raisins, or raisins grown on former 

 pasture ground. The way the raisins came to be given such a name is 

 as follows. Between the years 800 and the end of the fifteenth century, 

 the fairest part of Spain as well as Portugal was occupied by the Moors. 

 Contrary to their nature in other countries, they proved here extremely 

 industrious, and excelled both as merchants, artisans and agricultu- 

 rists. The waters of the streams were conducted to the land ill 



* Holland, Dodoens was a learned Dutch botanist. 



