62 THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 



for anything else than distilling. Malaga in Spain, which of all the 

 districts most resembles California, has undergone similar experiences, 

 both damaging and ruinous. 



It is thus that the fall rains are everywhere feared the most, the more 

 so where they may be expected with regularity, and where the district is 

 so situated that the heat of the sun is not powerful enough to rapidly 

 dry the injured crop. Thus in Valencia the rains are feared more 

 than at Malaga. In the latter place the sun is powerful enough to 

 dry the raisins, and only repeated showers would injure the crop. Our 

 experience is very much the same, and the early fall rains in the 

 northern part of the State are to be feared much more than rains at 

 the same time farther south, where a few showers would soon be suc- 

 ceeded by warm weather, and a hot sun powerful enough to dry the 

 partially cured grapes. On account of local conditions, certain parts 

 of Central California are freer from these fall rains than the more 

 southern districts, but this disadvantage is counteracted by the greater 

 amount of warm weather and drying winds just at a time when they 

 are most needed. But while the southern part of the State is in this 

 respect not as favorably situated as some other parts, the disadvantage 

 is greatly counteracted by the warmer and drier fall weather in October 

 and November, and by drying winds which are often able to desiccate 

 the moistened raisins in a very few days. 



Spring rains in May or even in the early part of June cannot be 

 considered greatly detrimental to the vines. On the contrary, if only 

 occurring at long intervals, one or two showers say during the season, 

 they are rather beneficial than otherwise. In California I have never 

 known them to injure the crop, except if accompanied by heavy hail. 

 Much alarm is regularly felt every time such a shower happens to 

 come, but after it is well over it will generally be found that the 

 vines look fresher and better, the ozone and ammonia which was 

 brought down by the rain having acted as powerful fertilizers for the 

 grape-leaves, and increased their vigor and growth. The only thing 

 that might prove injurious at this or any other time of the growing 

 season would be continued cloudy weather before or after such showers, 

 which would cause mildew. Such weather has to my knowledge never 

 been experienced. Occasionally spring rains also bring frost, and this 

 of course is one of the greatest enemies of the raisin-vines. 



Winter Rains. In order that the raisin grapes may develop and 

 mature without the aid of irrigation, the winter rains should be suffi- 

 cient to keep the soil moist during the dry months. The absolute 

 quantity of rain thus necessary varies in different localities. In Cali- 

 fornia, generally, we would say that from twenty to twenty-four inches 

 of rain would be required every year to kep the soil sufficiently moist 

 to grow Muscatel grapes without irrigation. The nearer we go to the 

 coast the less rainfall is required to supply this moisture, and the farther 

 we go inland, the more elevated the land, the less rain is needed. Thus 

 a regular rainfall of twenty-four inches would possibly not suffice on the 

 low plains of the San Joaquin valley, while in El Cajon in San Diego 

 county one-half of this rainfall is enough to grow the vines and mature 

 small crops of very good and superior grapes. 



