88 



THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 



any Gordo Blanco that have ever come under my notice. A. B. 

 Butler considers that the Muscat of Alexandria does equally as well 

 as the Gordo Blanco in Fresno, but most growers are not ready to 

 agree with him. 



2. Planting Bar (Fresno). 3. Fresno " Sheep's-foot." 4. Muscat of Alexandria (N. S.). 

 5. -Muscatel Gordo Blanco. 



The raisin made from the Muscat of Alexandria looks smaller on 

 account of its oblong form, and is less suited for facing the boxes, but 

 as to other qualities, such as taste, sweetness and color, there is no 

 marked difference between these two varieties of Muscats. All 

 varieties of Muscats set better in moist air than where the air is very 

 dry, and the moister air tends to better develop the bunches. This 

 explains why, in isolated vineyards in the , interior, the bunches are 

 never so large as where a large number of acres of vines have modi- 

 fied the often excessive dryness of the atmosphere. As to the relative 

 distribution of these two varieties of Muscats in our State, it may be 

 stated that the former is not based upon any particular adaptability 

 of the respective varieties to the localities where they are grown. 

 The Muscat of Alexandria is the older variety of the two, probably 

 both in Spain as well as in California. To Valencia in Spain it was 



