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THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 



if they are to be made to partially replace the seedless Sultanas or the 

 Currants in the same manner as the number two is expected to re- 

 place the imported Valencias, they must be made clean from all 

 rubbish. Only by producing a superior article can we hope to replace 

 the imported dipped raisins by our loose Muscatels. 



Packing and Cleaning. The number one and two loose aie always 

 put up in whole boxes of twenty pounds each, never in quarter boxes, 

 but sometimes in cartoons, to be used as samples or as holiday gifts. 

 In packing whole boxes, they may either be faced or not. If not 

 faced, the work is very simple. The raisins are first brought to a 

 large separate table with a guard all around its edges, so as to pre- 

 vent the raisins from falling to the floor. On each such table are 

 one or more small scales. The workmen gather the raisins with small 

 shovels, and place them in quantities of twenty pounds each in tin 

 trays, with the guards slanting at one end, in order that the raisins 

 may fall out readily. These trays are then immediately carried by 

 other hands to the packing-table close by. Here the proper papers 

 are being placed in regular whole raisin boxes, the loose raisins are 

 poured in from the trays, and from time to time looked over and 

 cleaned. All poor or inferior raisins should be carefully eliminated, 

 and only good ones allowed to be boxed. Finally the paper leaves 

 are folded over, and the boxes are taken away to be nailed up. Num- 

 ber two undergoes the very same process when packed in boxes. 



Raisin Truck for Packing-house. 



Sacking. A very large trade is springing up in sacked raisins, and 

 the demand for them is increasing every year. Both numbers two 

 and three grades loose are now exported this way either in cotton 

 sacks, or in jute sacks lined inside with paper. The jute sacks 

 are by many preferred on account of their showing the dirt less, 

 the cotton sacks generally arriving soiled at their destination. If 

 cotton sacks are used for shipment East, they should be first placed 

 in common burlap sacks, in order to arrive clean and attractive. The 

 extra expense is not great, as the cheapest kind can be used for this 

 purpose. 



Facing, Top-up Method. The facing is quickly done with the aid 

 of White's facing-plate, but it can also be accomplished without it if 

 the packer may so desire. The facing-plate, however, is greatly to 



