GRAPES 
nardino and Los Angeles counties in 
former years, but owing to the ravages 
of what has since become known as the 
Anaheim disease, which destroyed thous- 
ands of acres from 1884 to 1889, growers 
became discouraged, and oranges and 
lemons have taken the place of vines al- 
most entirely. 
Beginning of the Raisin Industry in 
Central California 
In 1876, W. S. Chapman imported some 
of the best obtainable Muscat vines from 
Spain for the Central California Colony 
in Fresno county, which, however, proved 
in no way different from those already 
growing in that county. Who produced 
the first raisins in California will prob- 
ably never be satisfactorily proved. Ac- 
cording to a report of the California 
State Agricultural Society, raisins were 
exhibited by Dr. J. Strentzel at the state 
fair in 1863. The first successful raisin 
vineyards in the state were those plant- 
ed by G G. Briggs, of Davisville, in 
Solano county, and by R. B. Blowers of 
Woodland, Yolo county. The former vine- 
yard contained mainly Muscats of Alex- 
andria, and the latter, Gordo Blanco. 
Both these vineyards produced raisins as 
early as 1867, but it was not until 1873 
1095 
that any quantity was placed on the 
market. 
First Fresno Vineyards 
In the fall of 1873, Muscat vines were 
first brought to Fresno, when 25 acres 
of the Muscat of Alexandria were plant- 
ed in the Hisen vineyard. In 1876-77, 
T. C. White planted the Raisina vineyard 
in the Central California Colony, Fres- 
no, with Gordo Blanco Muscatels brought 
from Blowers’ vineyard at Woodland. 
The following year Miss M. F. Austin 
planted her “Hedgerow” vineyard with 
the same variety, and Robert Barton also 
planted 25 acres of Muscat vines, but 
did not make raisins until later. The 
Butler vineyard, one of the largest, was 
first planted in 1879, while Colonel Wil- 
liam Forsyth commenced grape growing 
in 1881-82. Most of his vineyard, how- 
ever, was planted a year or two later. 
Production of Raisins Doubled in 
Five Years 
Twenty-five years ago Fresno county 
commenced to take the lead, which it has 
kept increasing ever since, while South- 
ern California, especially Los Angeles and 
Orange counties, continued to fall off in 
their production, as illustrated by the 
following summary: 
1885 1886 1887 1889 
FYESnO... cece eee eres 2,140,000 | 4,500,000 7,000,000, 8,800,000 9,500,000 
Riverside and San Bernar- 
Gin0..... cece cee eee 2,580,000 | 3,900,000 3,800,000 5,400,000 5,300,000 
Los Angeles and Orange 
Counties.......... 0... 2,780,000 | 3,600,000 1,700,000 840,000 160,000 
Yolo... . cece ease Lone eee 1,340,000 1,500,000 2,500,000} 2,500,000 2,400,000 
San Diego.............66. 200,000 500,000 400,000 800,000 50,000 
Tulare... 2... .. cece eee ee 120,000 160,000 200,000 220,000 300,000 
Bern occ c cece cece ee] cence ec eceelees ucts ce eeale cess rcucslesecceeecucens 80,000 
Other smaller districts. . 240,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 500,000 
Totals...........008. 9,400,000 | 14,460,000 | 16,000,000; 18,860,000 | 19,740,000 
These figures are only an approximation. 
Kings county does not appear in this 
list, as it was then part of Tulare coun- 
ty, not being organized into a separate 
county until 18938. Within the last 20 
years great changes have taken place. 
Orange and Solano counties no longer 
produce raisins; Los Angeles county very 
few; Yolo county, which at one time pro- 
duced Sultanas and Thompson’s Seed- 
less in considerable quantities, now finds 
it more profitable to ship them as table 
grapes; while the large vineyards in Riv- 
erside and San Bernardino counties are 
more devoted to wine grapes. Of the 52 
counties in California, only ten produce 
raisins in any quantity: 
