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..V.v.'* /. ; 

 -.''* i ' 



280, AMERICAN" GRAPE GROWING 



as the Sultana is also an excellent wine grape, there can 

 be no risk in planting it largely. 



As I am not experienced in raisin making, I insert here 

 an article by Mr. R. B. Blowers, from the Report of the 

 State Board of Viticulture for 1880. Mr. B. has made rai- 

 sin making a speciality in Yolo Co. and has been very suc- 

 cessful. He has himself constructed a very practical 

 dryer in which he finishes up the drying begun in the 

 field. The working is described in a very practical manner. 



The following is the Report of Mr. R. B. Blowers, 

 Commissioner for the Sacramento District: 



" Raisin making being one of the important interests in 

 this viticulturual district, I will explain the California 

 method. Raisins are made from the Muscatella, Gordo 

 Blanco, and Muscat of Alexandria, preferably of the 

 former; also a seedless raisin, highly esteemed, made from 

 the seedless Sultana. The grapes should be allowed to 

 remain on the vine until quite ripe, and show a yellowish 

 or golden color, and being more translucent than when 

 too green. Then they should be carefully picked and 

 placed upon a drying tray (usually two by three feet in 

 size), and exposed, with an inclination toward the sun, 

 in some convenient place, generally between the rows in 

 the vineyard, or in some contiguous open land. After 

 having been exposed a sufficient time to become about 

 half dried, they are turned once in this manner, viz. : two 

 workmen taking an empty tray, place it upon a full one, 

 holding them firmly together, and with a swinging motion 

 turn them over, and replace the now turned grapes in 

 their former position. The turning should be done before 

 the dew is quite off of the grapes in early morning; then, 

 when the grapes have become so dry as to lose their ashy 

 appearance, some being a little too green and some quite 

 dry enough, they are, after removing those entirely too 

 green, slid from the tray into large sweat boxes, having 

 a thick sheet of paper between about every twenty-five or 



