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When a vineyiU'J is laid out the main 

 idea of accessibility and convenience in 

 cultivatinj; and picliing the fruit is borne 

 in mind. For tliis reason tlie cuttings 

 or slips from older vines are planted 

 eight feet apart, or 680 to the acre. This 

 is the usual distance, though occasion- 

 ally a broader space is left for conveni- 

 ence in driving through the vinevard. 



PICKING THE GRAPES. 



The cultivating of the ground and the 

 pruning of the vines to insure strengtli 

 and stockiness are in no way different 

 from the processes familiar to the horti- 

 culturist of the east. The interest cen- 

 ters mainly in the mode of preparing the 

 grapes to figm'e as California raisins on 

 the table. 



When the grape has attained that de- 

 gree of ripeness which indicates that 

 picking time has come the vine grower 

 gets together his help, if he is going to 

 see the thing through himself, or sells 

 the fruit as it stands to one of the big 

 packing comjaanies. Large crews of 

 men, women and children, often Chinese 

 or Mexicans, are engaged, and as the 

 sun rises they begin their day's work. A 

 sharij knife or shears separates the 

 bunches of fruit from the vine. Shallow 

 wooden trays of a size to be handled 

 easily are at hand, and into these the 

 clusters are placed very tenderly to 

 avoid bruising. When the tray is full 

 it is earned to the drying ground. 



In southern California at this time of 

 the year there is almost perpetual sun- 

 shine, and no necessity exists for artifi- 

 cial heat in the drying process. The 

 tilled trays are placed in long rows in 

 open spaces where the sun has free ac- 

 cess, and at the end of twenty days the 

 product is dried grapes, which command 

 a comparatively small price in the mar- 

 ket. In many vineyards the trays, after 

 being filled one bunch deep, are leaned 

 against the vines and there allowed to 

 dry, the perfection of simplicity in the 

 curing process. 



The trays are then taken to the pack- 

 ing house. There the shrunken clusters 

 are emptied into large sweating boxes 

 holding from 100 to 200 pounds each. 

 The grapes are in this manner deprived 

 of all moisture. Next comes the grad- 

 ing of the raisins according to commer- 



THE d!;ying process. 

 oial value. The larger the clusters and 

 the individual grapes the better the 

 price. Suitable Ijoxes or f(^nns, calcu- 

 lated to hold about five pounds each, are 

 filled with carefully selected bunches 

 and placed under heavy pressure, which 

 comx)resses the grapes into layers. Four 

 of these layers, held t->^cther by inter- 

 locking stems, are ranged one above the 

 other in a pine box, wrajiped in gilt and 

 colored pajjer with a laced covering bear- 

 ing the brand and the packer's name, 

 and enter the trade as "twent}' pounds 

 net." 



"London layers" — the highest class 

 and which bring a fancy price — are the 

 result of the first selection. In sorting a 

 great many of the large berries fall from 

 the stems. These are carefully gathered 

 up, run through a fanning mill, thor- 

 oughly cleaned and are then marketed 

 as "loose Muscatels." They are in every 

 respect as good as the layer raisins, but 

 bring a slightly lower price. The smaller 

 clusters are packed less expensively, and 

 are sold under various names. "Mus- 

 catels" is the common designation given 

 them. The smallest grade is known as 

 "seedless Misscatels," from the fact that 

 the half grown grapes of this class con- 

 tain no seeds. 



The white Muscat grape is the stand- 

 ard variety grown for raisins. 



"What are the profits of raisin grow- 

 ing?" is one of the first questions asked 

 by the newcomer. The necessary land 

 secured, there is quite a healthy margin 

 of profit. Cuttings usually cost about 

 .$2.50 a thousand, but 1-year-old rooted 

 vines, with which a more unifoi-m and 

 satisfactory stand can be obtained, can 

 be had for $10 to $12. An acre vineyard 

 twenty months old from the cuttings 

 has produced a crop that sold for $170 

 when made into raisins. 



An acre vineyard six years of age pro- 

 duced thirteen and a half tons of grapes, 

 that were sold for $30 per ton on the 

 vine, yielding .$405. But these were ex- 

 ceiJtional. In Riverside, where the con- 

 ditions are admittedly favorable for raisin 

 culture, the price realized by the grower 



for the grapes upon the vine from vine- 

 yards four years old and over, and suit- 

 ably cared for, varies with the seasons 

 and ranges from $100 to $1.50 per acre. 

 A number of grape growers who liave 

 packed and sold their own raisins liave 

 realized for several years past from $200 

 to $225 per acre net. The increase of 

 the raisin industry is shown by the fact 

 that in 1879 the first shipments amount- 

 ed to only 80,1)110 boxes, while in 1889 

 they exceeded ;300,000 boxes. 



This j-ear the crop will not be so heavy, 

 as a fungus in the Santa Anna and San 

 Gabriel valli'vs has given the vines a 

 set back, but next season many young 

 vines will come into bearing, and if the 

 transportation question can be modified 

 so as to enable the California grower to 

 compete with the producers of southern 

 Europe, California will be in a position 

 to supjily the markets of the country 

 with a high gi-ade of raisins. 



Pasadena. Calif. 



QUEENS. 



A Sure ITIctliod of Iiilrotliiciiis 

 New Queen-Bees. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY E. L. PRATT. 



When the queen arrives in a Perfec- 

 tion cage, remove the thin lid from 

 over the screen-cloth, and place her as 

 she is received (if in good condition) 

 on top of the frames of some strong 

 colony, wire down, where she will re- 

 main quietly until wanted. Make sure 

 that the bees of this hive cannot get 

 at the provision candy that is in the 

 cage, because it will be needed to in- 

 troiluce the queen with. 



Now go to a colony that is known to 

 be in a normal condition, with a laj-- 

 ing queen. Remove the queen from 

 this hive, and cage or kill her. Leave 

 the bees in this queeiiless condition 

 from 36 to 48 hours — not over 72. 



Now remove the queen from off the 

 tops of the frames of the strong col- 

 onj-, where she was left in , solitude, 

 and draw the plug so as to expose the 

 provision caudy. Immediately place 

 her with the (jueenless colony in such 

 a way that the bees of the hive can 

 tunnel through and release the queen. 



Examine in a week, and }Oii will 

 find the new queen "safe and sound." 

 doing duty as the mother of that col- 

 ouj'. 



If the cage is well provisioned, you 

 will be successful every time, and it is 

 not necessary to clip off queen-cells, or 

 shake the bees from the combs, or to 

 cage the poor things. The secret is. 

 letting the bees entirely alone after 

 putting in the strange queen. Try it. 

 and see for yourself. 



Mai-lboro. Mass. * 



