THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 211 



JOSEPH T. GOODMAN. 



The owner of the Floreal vineyard arrived in Fresno in 1879, and 

 purchased a then already started plantation, which, however, he soon 

 greatly remodeled, enlarged and improved. Mr. Goodman, formerly 

 one of the brilliant newspaper men and literary writers of this coast, 

 and publisher of the Territorial Enterprise of Virginia City, Nevada, 

 has probably more than any other man studied the characteristics and 

 requirements of the raisin grapes. His vineyard, while not the largest, 

 is in our opinion the best cared for in the State, and newcomers could 

 perhaps not do better than learn from it. It now comprises one hun- 

 dred and twenty acres, mostly in Gordo Blanco. For the curing of the 

 grapes, thirty thousand trays or more are needed, while a separate pack- 

 ing-house and tray-shed are prominent features of the vineyard. The 

 land was all leveled with great care before planting, and every check 

 can be flooded if necessary. The soil is the very richest, being the 

 chocolate-colored loam, which in Fresno is considered the best and 

 strongest soil for Muscat grapes. The location of the vineyard is the 

 old sink of Red Bank creek, in the same district where Forsyth's and 

 Butler's vineyards are situated. As regards planting, pruning, sulphur- 

 ing, topping and other vineyard operations, Mr. J. T. Goodman is 

 an authority from whose verdict there is no appeal. The Floreal vine- 

 yard always bears good crops, which must be exclusively attributed to 

 the care given the vineyard and to the judgment with which all opera- 

 tions there are conducted. Mr. Goodman has invented several appli- 

 ances for facilitating the vineyard work, most prominent among which 

 I may mention the vineyard truck, by the means of which the expenses 

 of harvesting and some other vineyard labors are greatly reduced. He 

 also suggested the facing-plate independently of T. C. White. 



A. B. BUTLER. 



The largest raisin vineyard in Fresno county or in the State of Cali- 

 fornia, as well as in the world, is owned by A. B. Butler. The vineyard 

 is situated about three miles southeast of Fresno, on the sink of Red 

 Bank. It contains about six hundred acres, nearly all of which is 

 planted in Muscat grapes of the Gordo Blanco and Alexandria varieties, 

 and a few Sultanas. The vines are planted at various distances, such as 

 ten by sixteen feet, and six by twelve feet, etc. The pruning is all ' ' low 

 standard, ' ' except the Sultanas, which are staked four feet high. The 

 only trees in the vineyard consist of two or three avenues of fig and 

 poplar interspersed with fan palms, while some poplar trees line the 

 outside boundaries of the vineyard. The first vines were set in 1879, 

 and since that time the planting has been carried on untit the whole 

 six hundred acres are now in vines in full bearing. Mr. Butler himself 

 superintends the general work of the vineyard, and during the packing 

 time carefully watches the packing. The latter is accomplished in a 

 large building containing packing-rooms, storerooms, steam dryer, sep- 

 arator, box factory and storeroom for labels. The dryer has a capacity 

 of fifty tons charge of green fruit, and is considered one of the best in 

 the State. There are two dryers, the large one just mentioned and one 

 smaller, of twenty-five tons capacity, situated in the center of the vine- 

 yard. The Butler raisins are celebrated all over the continent, and are 



