THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 200 



when every one else doubted the propriety and desirability of drying 

 grapes by artificial heat, and the dryer thus constructed has never yet 

 been surpassed. One of the characteristics of the Blowers dryer was 

 the blower or suction fan, by which means the air was changed in the 

 dryer, the moist air being sucked out, while dry air was allowed to 

 rush in. Mr. Blowers improved nearly every branch of the raisin 

 industry, And studied every operation, such as plowing, irrigation, cur- 

 ing and packing, more thoroughly than any one ever did before or has 

 done after him. Mr. Blowers' raisins were the best in the State at their 

 time, and wherever exhibited received the first premium. At the World's 

 Fair at Philadelphia, they received the first premium, and attracted 

 much attention. I may add that Mr. Blowers is the inventor or at 

 least the perfector of the "face-down" method of packing, the best 

 method for packing raisins. Mr. Blowers has published a short essay, 

 on raisins, referred to elsewhere in this book. 



ROBERT McPHERSON. 



Robert McPherson was for Southern California what G. G. Briggs 

 and R. B. Blowers were for the Northern part. The McPherson vine- 

 yard extended once over 360 acres of land, and one year he shipped over 

 one hundred thousand boxes. Many of the practical devices for irriga- 

 ting, curing and packing raisins now generally in use in the southern part 

 of the State were invented by him. The McPherson vineyard was 

 situated in Orange county in the southern part of this State. Robert 

 McPhcrson was certainly the largest and most prominent raisin-grower 

 in Southern California. He is now no longer in the business. 



T. C. WHITE. 



The "Raisina" vineyard was the first thoroughly conducted raisin 

 vineyard in Fresno. It was planted by T. C.White in 1876, '77 and '78, 

 and from that time gradually extended until it contained one hundred 

 and twenty acres, of which sixty-five acres are in Muscatel grapes of 

 the variety known as Gordo Blanco, brought there from the Blowers 

 vineyard at Woodland. The vineyard also contains some Seedless 

 Sultanas and White Corinths. The soil of the vineyard is white ash, 

 the location two miles south of Fresno, in the old Central California 

 Colony. The soil is now partly subirrigated. T. C. White has done 

 a great deal to develop and perfect the packing and curing of raisins, 

 and he has also given much time and study to the other branches of the 

 industry, such as growing, pruning and cultivation. Through the 

 study of the imported Spanish raisins, as well as of those produced by 

 R. B. Blowers, Mr. White succeeded in packing a very superior brand, 

 which has never been surpassed in this State. The brands packed at 

 the Raisina vineyard were as follows : Dehesa Clusters, London Layers, 

 California Layers, Loose Muscatels, and cartoons of two and one-half 

 pounds. The largest pack at one time was thirteen thousand boxes of 

 twenty pounds each. In order to "face" the boxes accurately and 

 rapidly, T. C. White invented the facing-plate elsewhere described in 

 this book. Experiencing considerable difficulty in properly facing his 



