26 WILD FLOWERS OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 



Blossoms of all kinds grow to an immense size. The roses were 

 here in abundance, and so large and fine I begged some to send 

 to an Eastern friend, who thought her roses the finest in the 

 country. She wrote me " You intended this box of lovely 

 roses as a pleasure to me I am quite sure, but they have brought 

 with them a desire so great to visit the land that produces such 

 marvelous flowers, I fear I shall not be contented or entirely 

 happy until I have seen them growing in their native soil." 



Hedges of callas and geraniums are common here, and the 

 heliotrope is trained as we would train the honeysuckle vine in 

 the East. 



I saw some fine groves of apricots and olives growing, and 

 the English walnut is extensively cultivated. The friends who 

 entertained me while at San Jose raised their own English wal- 

 nuts, and cured and prepared their raisins. 



I became interested in the curing of raisins while in Cali- 

 fornia. Much attention is being given to it. They have two 

 methods of preparing them. One method consists in partially 

 cutting through the stalk of the ripened bunches of grapes and 

 allowing them to shrink and dry upon the vines by the heat of 

 the sun. By the other method they are gathered and hung on 

 lines, or laid on prepared floors to dry in the sun. When dried 

 they are dipped in a hot lye, to which is added olive oil and a 

 little salt. After dipping, the fruit is laid on hurdles of wicker- 

 work to drain, and is constantly exposed to the sun for about a 

 fortnight. The raisins are then pulled from the stalk and 

 packed into boxes ready for the eastern markets. 



