THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 67 



ing to Consul G. H. Heap of Constantinople, the positions preferred 

 for vineyards in Turkey are the slopes of elevated and sheltered undu- 

 lating lands, or on the sunny hills that do not lie too near the coast, 

 or are naturally protected from the cold winds and fogs of the sea. 

 The Island of Cos or Zea is called the paradise of the Sultana grape, 

 because Nature has given the cultivable land there the best possible 

 protection from the direct influence of the fogs. In Malaga, according 

 to Consul Marston, eighty per cent of the vineyards are situated on the 

 hills and inland, ten per cent on the valley lands or plains, and ten per 

 cent on the coast. With the exception of some of the San Diego 

 vineyards, California cannot show any raisin vineyards as close to the 

 coast as those found in Malaga. The main HI Cajon vineyards are 

 from ten to fifteen miles inland, while the former Santa Ana vineyards 

 were situated from eight to twelve miles from the coast. The San 

 Bernardino raisin vineyards are from twenty to thirty miles inland, 

 while in the San Joaquin valley the raisin districts are more than a 

 hundred miles from the coast, while the sea wind, before it reaches any 

 of the vines, has been modified by passing over from two to three 

 hundred miles of dry country. 



Ideal Conditions of Climate. There remains only to draw some con- 

 clusions from the above facts. We are often asked what are the ideal 

 conditions, as far as climate is concerned, for the proper development 

 of the raisin grape, and for the proper curing of the raisins. Could we 

 select such an ideal spot, where all the requirements for the raisin 

 industry could be found in their highest perfection, with as few of the 

 drawbacks as possible, our choice would be as follows: A moderately 

 dry air, a frostless spring, a rainy winter and a rainless autumn. The 

 temperature in the summer should vary between ninety and one hun- 

 dred degrees, the fall months should now and then be visited by 

 drying winds, while the winter frosts should be heavy and regular, but 

 not below twelve degrees. Some have suggested that absolute freedom 

 from any rain would be very desirable, as then no interference would 

 be experienced with the cultivation of the grapes, but I doubt if the soil 

 in c uch districts would not be rapidly exhausted through the want of 

 weeds, the plowing under of which enriches the ground and enables it 

 better to preserve the moisture provided for it by irrigation. 



SOILS. 



General Remarks. No one certain variety of soil can be said to be 

 the best for raisin purposes, and both in different countries, as well as 

 in the same district, various varieties of soils are valued equally. 

 Every raisin district has, however, its favorite soil, which is sup- 

 posed to have some peculiar advantages for the raisin grapes, but 

 upon closer investigation we generally find other varieties of soils 

 which are not inferior. Growers who have succeeded with raisin 

 grapes on one variety of soil are only too apt to consider this kind 

 preferable to any other. This is especially the case in California, 

 where soils vary so much and where in some districts it is difficult to 

 find forty acres with a uniform soil. Whether the soil is black, red 



