THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 51 



by early showers in the fall. Size of trays, two by three feet, with a 

 cleat nailed at the short ends, but none at the long ends of the trays. 

 Sweatboxes receive the raisins when they leave the trays. Formerly 

 the sweatboxes were much larger and deeper than now, eight or even 

 twelve inches in depth riot being unknown. Of late sweatboxes are 

 made two by three feet, or of the exact size of the trays, and not over 

 six inches in depth. A greater depth makes the boxes too heavy to 

 handle, and also causes the bunches to break. The packing of the 

 raisins in Riverside and in the Southern California raisin districts 

 generally is done by the method known as "top up." That is, the 

 first raisins are placed in the bottom of the box and successive layers 

 are placed on top, until finally the top layer is put on the last. The 

 lever press for the compression of the layers is a Riverside invention. 

 A modification of this press is now in use in nearly all districts where 

 the ' 'top- up" method of packing is practiced. The brands packed 

 are as follows: Three Crown London Layers, Two Crown London 

 Layers, Three Crown Loose Muscatels, Two Crown Loose Muscatels, 

 and Muscatels in sixty-pound sacks; also Seedless Muscatels in sacks 

 of sixty and thirty pounds respectively. Cotton sacks are commonly 

 used for the two latter brands. The brands are apt to vary from year 

 to year, according to the fancy or ideas of the packers, new ones of 

 which are in the field every year. Only those who both produce and 

 pack have anything like established brands. The prices paid for 

 raisins in sweatboxes have varied in different years. In 1887 an( * 1888, 

 the price was from four and one-half to five cents per pound. In 1889, 

 the price rose to five and five and three-fourths cents, and in one or two 

 instances six cents were paid. 



The Profits and Other Items. The profit varies, of course, greatly, 

 but an average profit may be considered to be from about $125 to $150 

 per acre. The yield of an acre is variable, but from eight to ten tons of 

 fresh grapes is said not to have been uncommon. In some cases the yield 

 has been much higher and the profit larger. I have from trustworthy 

 source the statement that one vineyardist who owns only a few acres, 

 I believe only five, and who has given all his time and attention to 

 these vines, has realized as much as $430 per acre. This I quote only 

 as an instance of what might be done with care and expense in an 

 exceptionally favored locality. Some few growers have realized $250 

 profit on each of a few acres, which also is to be considered excep- 

 tional. I believe my former statement of $150 per acre as being 

 reliable and attainable by all San Bernardino county raisin-growers 

 who have good land, and who give their vines sufficient care. As 

 another instance of a high yield, I copy below an account of the 

 vintage of C. Newton Ross of Etiwanda, San Bernardino county, Cali- 

 fornia. The article appeared in the Press and Horticulturist of Riverside, 

 September 2yth, and I have every reason to consider it trustworthy. 

 The writer adds that the yield is extraordinary. "Mr. Ross has 

 seventeen acres of 8,000 vines five years old from which he picked 

 8,648 trays of grapes that average twenty-five pounds to the tray, 

 or a total of 108 tons of grapes, which will make thirty-six tons of 

 raisins, equal to 3,600 boxes, over 200 boxes to the acre. This is 



