THB RAISIN INDUSTRY. 45 







conditions favoring the curing of the grapes. The present raisin 

 center is around Fresno City, where over twenty-five thousand acres 

 are planted to raisin grapes, principally Muscatels; but from this 

 locality the industry has been constantly spreading, until at present the 

 other counties in the valley, viz., Merced, Tulareand Kern, can show a 

 good acreage of young vines. Next after Fresno, Tulare county 

 produces the largest quantity of raisin grapes, and produces raisins 

 of the very highest quality. The principal raisin vineyards in that x 

 county are situated in the Mussel Slough district, on the rich bottom 

 lands formed by the former delta of Kings river; of late, the planting 

 of raisin grapes has extended to other parts of the county as well. In 

 Kern county few old raisin vineyards exist, the oldest one being situa- 

 ted on the Livermore ranch, being a part of the Haggin and Carr tract. 

 Several hundred new acres have been planted there this spring, especi- 

 ally in the Rosedale, I^erdo and Virginia Colonies, as well as on the 

 plains near Delano. I need here hardly say that the raisins of Fresno, 

 Tulare, Kern and Merced counties should be all classed together, as the 

 climate in these various localities is one and the same, with only a slight 

 and gradual change as to rainfall as we go south in the valley. If there 

 will, in the course of time, be found some difference as regards quality 

 in the raisins of these various localities in the San Joaquin valley, this 

 difference will not be due to any great difference in the climate, but to 

 the variety of soil on which the grapes are grown. The raisins are only 

 grown on the level lands, situated from three to four hundred feet above 

 the sea. 



Extent and Location. The Fresno district contains about thirty 

 thousand acres, out of which about twelve thousand are in good or full 

 bearing. Merced county has about two thousand acres, nearly all very 

 young vines. Kern county has probably about one thousand acres, 

 also very young vines, and some thirty acres of old vines. Tulare 

 county has about seven thousand acres of Muscats, a large part of which 

 is in full or good bearing. Many vineyards, large and small, are being 

 planted in these counties this year, but enough attention is not paid 

 to proper soil and to locality, and here, as elsewhere in the State, many 

 of these vineyards will not turn out as the owners expect they will. 

 In Fresno county, the old vineyards are planted principally around 

 Fresno City, while in late years other raisin districts or sub-districts are 

 growing into prominence around Malaga, Sanger, Selma, Fowler and 

 Madera. The varieties used are principally the Gordo Blanco Musca- 

 tel, much mixed with the Muscat of Alexandria. There are some few 

 acres of Sultanas and White Corinths, and of late many Malagas 

 have been planted. 



Soils and Climate. There are several different varieties of soils in the 

 district, the red or chocolate-colored sandy loam principally east of 

 the railroad, the white, ashy soil west of the railroad, and the very 

 sandy soil, generally occurring in elevated ridges. We have also the 

 deep, gray -colored bottom land in the river bottoms or along the rivers 

 and creeks. The best grades of the chocolate and reddish loams, 

 and of the river bottom soil, is considered the best for raisins. The 

 very sandy soil and the alkali soil should not be used for raisin 



