CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, SOILS, LOCATION AND 



IRRIGATION. 



CLIMATIC CONDITIONS FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE 

 TO THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 



Limits of the Raisin Districts. It is an interesting fact, and by no 

 means a coincidence, that the raisin districts of the world are found 

 on or between the same latitudes. Thus we find the California dis- 

 tricts between latitudes 32, 75' and 38, 75'. The latitude of Smyrna 

 is 38, 28', 7", that of Malaga in Spain 36, 75', Valencia 39, 25', 

 Denia 38, 50', the Grecian Islands and Morea 37 and 38, and 

 finally Huasco in Chile 28 south latitude. That the latter place is 

 situated so much farther south or so much nearer the equator cannot 

 exactly be considered exceptional, as it conforms with the general 

 characteristics of the Southern hemispheres as compared with those 

 on the northern half of the globe. In Europe the Muscat grape for 

 raisin purposes is not a success north of the fortieth degree of lati- 

 tude. While the limits in California and Chile are not yet fully 

 ascertained, it may be presumed that, as far as regards this country, 

 these limits will not differ very much from those of Spain and Asia 

 Minor. Only years if not centuries of experience will finally decide 

 where and where not raisin grapes can be grown and cured to per- 

 fection. While the vines and the grapes can be grown in many 

 places, the proper curing of the raisins is attended with more or less 

 difficulty in the various districts. With proper modes of curing the 

 grapes, and by protecting them from the inclemencies of the weather, 

 the limits of the successful raisin districts may be extended consid- 

 erably both north and south. 



Dry Seasons, Spring and Fall Rains. The climate of the Mediterra- 

 nean basin, as well as of the raisin districts of the New World, present 

 the peculiarity of having only two distinct seasons, one dry and warm, 

 and one cold and wet. There are other parts of the world also char- 

 acterized by a dry and a wet season, for instance Mexico and Central 

 America, etc. , but they differ in the important point, that whereas the 

 climate of the raisin districts is dry during the growing or summer 

 season, Mexico has then its greatest rainfall. While grape-growing 

 may not be impossible under such circumstances, the curing and dry- 

 ing of raisins is impossible, except with the aid of costly and burden- 

 some appliances, the expense of which will very much increase the 

 cost of producing the raisins. The climate of the raisin centers is by 

 no means uniform. As a rule, the farther north we go the less is the 

 distinction between the dry and the wet season, the shorter is the 

 former and the longer the season of rain. Experienpe shows that the 

 less this distinction between the seasons is marked, and the shorter 

 the rainless season, the less favorable is the climate for the raisin 



