THE GBAPE. 121 



are dipped in a ley made of ashes of vine-branches and 

 rosemary, to which a little slaked lime is added, and then 

 placed on the rocks to dry, while those of Malaga are 

 simply dried in the sun without any preparation. At the 

 latter place there are three gatherings in the year, the 

 first, which takes place in June, furnishing the Muscatel 

 and bloom raisins, which are exported annually to the 

 extent of millions of pounds weight, making yet little 

 perceptible difference in the vintage gatherings, which 

 are effected in September and October. The Americans, 

 it is said, import more raisins than all the rest of the 

 world put together, for great as has been their progress 

 lately both in growing grapes and in utilizing them, they 

 have not yet attempted the drying of them for their own 

 use. But it is by no means absolutely necessary that the 

 fruit should be dried before it can travel to us, for the 

 rapid transit afforded by steam permits us to receive many 

 thousands of pounds' worth of fresh foreign grapes during 

 the season, brought over packed in sawdust. When grapes 

 are perfectly ripened they contain the elements of preserva- 

 tion within themselves, but in a variable degree, depending 

 upon the proportion of sugar they contain ; fleshy sweet 

 berries, such as the Muscatel, having the greatest tendency 

 to remain unchanged, while juicy subacid sorts, such as 

 the Elack Hamburgh and Sweet- water, are least fitted for 

 keeping. In all cases damp promotes decay, and in Spain, 

 where the finest dried grapes in the world are prepared, it 

 is found, that if the slightest dew fall on them while they 

 are in course of preparation, although the kind used is 

 the sweet fleshy Muscat, the raisins are very apt to become 

 spoiled, even after they have been packed in boxes. If, 

 therefore, grapes are left hanging in a vinery after they 

 are ripe, the interior should be kept as dry as possible. 

 When it is wished to preserve them after gathering for 

 any length of time, various means may be resorted to: 

 the classical mode was to suspend them in jars of wine ; 

 the Americans prefer to imbed them in cotton wadding ; 

 and among ourselves they are usually merely hung upon 

 a line in a dry room. Some invert the bunches, hanging 

 the stalk end downwards, since the berries then do not 



