THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 163 



fulness. It may, however, be said in favor of this appliance, that 

 it is used by one of our largest packers, and by him considered as of 

 equal value if not superior even to a regularly constructed equalizing 

 house. 



The raisins which are to be sweated are only the clusters or layers, X 

 and not the loose, which as we have seen should at once be taken >p 

 from the field to the stemmer, while the stems are yet crisp and dry. 

 It is therefore of importance that the bunches or layers should be 

 separated from the loose already in the field, or, which is much prefer- 

 able, before they are dried, at the time when they are picked from the 

 vines. If the latter is done properly, there will be only a small quan- 

 tity of loose which will go in the sweating-house with the layers. 

 The layers should at any rate be placed at once in sweatboxes when 

 taken from the trays, and between every two layers of bunches there 

 should be a stout sheet of manilla paper, in order that the bunches may 

 not become mixed. When taken to the sweathouse the boxes should be 

 so placed that air can enter every one. It will not do to place one box 

 on top of another so as to cover up the top entirely, as the raisins are 

 then apt to ferment in a very short time, and, before the raisin-packer 

 is aware, whole piles may be absolutely spoiled. It is not necessary 

 to place the boxes crosswise, as it is enough to allow the short side of 

 each box to overlap the underlying box a little; sufficient air will then 

 enter. In very dry weather the floor of the sweathouse may be sprin- 

 kled with water, but this is generally not needed, as the underdried 

 raisins will give out moisture enough to soften those that are too dry, 

 as well as the stems. Every day the sweathouse should be aired, and 

 it is a mistake to believe that all air should be excluded. If air is not 

 daily admitted, the raisins will mold and spoil, and it is even advisa- 

 ble to keep a circulation of air constantly through the house during 

 the daytime. The attentive packer will soon learn to regulate this, 

 and nothing but actual experience with his particular sweathouse 

 will enable him to decide how much air should be let in and to what 

 extent the doors should be closed. 



At the end of from ten days to three weeks, the equalizing process 

 should be over, and the layers ready for further packing. When the 

 boxes are removed, it will be found that the majority of those raisins 

 which had been too moist or underdried have dried sufficiently, while 

 on the contrary the overdried raisins, as well as the formerly brittle 

 stems, will have acquired sufficient moisture to enable the packer to 

 manipulate them without risk of breaking the bunches. The raisins 

 should be pliable, and stand moderate pressure without cracking or 

 breaking. But while equalizing is an important operation, and one 

 which we cannot dispense with, it is always to the grower's interest 

 to so dry his raisins previously that they will require as little equal- 

 izing as possible, as even the most carefully sweated raisins which 

 have once been overdried will never afterwards equal those which 

 were at once properly dried in the field. The overdried raisins will 

 always have a tougher skin and be inferior in color; but on the other 

 hand they will keep better than raisins which have been dried less. 



