858 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



2d. Boyal finest Dehesa layers. 



3d. Finest Dehesa layers. 



4th. Fine Dehesa layers. 



5th. Dehesa layers. 



6th. London (ordinary) layers. 



London, loose, 1, 2, and 3 crowns, the last being in three qualities. 



The boxes are mostly made by contract at 75 centimes of a peseta 

 (about 15 cents) each. I think the best boxes are made of fir imported 

 from Portugal. The producer almost always provides the boxes and 

 packs them, but they are always repacked in the town by the merchants, 

 who usually employ women or girls for this labor. All raisins are packed 

 iu boxes, except those shipped in barrels and frails, and are divided into 

 four layers in each whole box, which, if of full size, contains 22 pounds 

 of fruit, the total weight with the box usually being 28 or 29 pounds. 

 The first or top layer is always the finest and largest, being selected 

 with great care. The merchant is obliged to be familiar with the tastes 

 and demands of the country for which the raisins are intended. 



Although the United States are the principal buyers, they do not 

 purchase the finest quality, almost all the best going to England and 

 France. 



For England the layers are not presented in bunches, but are all sepa- 

 rated from the stem and pressed very tightly down by the lid of the 

 box, which has the effect of making them, in show, a very large raisin. 



For France the bunches must be entire ; this difference proves that in 

 England the buyers observe the appearance of the fruit, whilst in France 

 they examine very critically, more desirous to assure themselves of the 

 quality rather than appearance. In this regard, and contrary to their 

 usual habit, the English show themselves less practical than the French. 



The average cost in Malaga of 100 boxes loose muscated raisins, the 

 staple shipped to the United States for the year 1880, was about 



Raisins (100 boxes) $126.10 



Boxes (100 boxes) 14.55 



From holder's warehouse to ship, including examining, marking, cartage, 

 lightering, and nailing (100 boxes) 5.00 



145. 65 



In the choicest raisins sent from Malaga, there can be expended in 

 decorations of inside papers from 5 cents to $1 per box, at the option 

 of the purchaser. 



Before closing my report upon raisins, I would allude to a practice 

 which has caused much dissatisfaction between American purchasers 

 and Malaga merchants in the fruit trade, i. e., in the shipping of light- 

 weight boxes of raisins. It has been customary to make the boxes of 

 exceedingly thick wood, which weighed more than the amount allowed 

 for tare. Thus the New York purchasers paid for one or two pounds 

 more of raisins in each box than they received, and great trouble was 

 experienced in consequencef lately, however, tbere bas been a 



