206 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



effervescent drinks, and in baking powders. 

 After being drawn from vats into barrels, the 

 wines are kept for some years to ripen, if the best 

 qualities are being made. The older the wine, the 

 better it becomes. 



Raisin-culture centres in Fresno County, Califor- 

 nia, where the fruit of certain fleshy, sweet vari- 

 eties are dried in the sun, on large trays. Only 

 regions of continuous sunshine can make raisins. 



Valencia and Malaga, cities in Spain, are cen- 

 tres of great raisin-districts in Europe. The finest 

 grades are produced by partially cutting the stem 

 of each fine cluster, and then cutting away of all 

 leaves, so that the sun hastens the drying, and 

 the sap supply is partially cut off. The more usual 

 method is to cut the bunches and lay them on 

 trays in the sun. 



Persia and neighboring countries produce quanti- 

 ties of raisins for home use and for European 

 markets. The Zante currants and Sultana seed- 

 less raisins are both made of small sweet grapes 

 of Greece and Asia minor. 



CORE FRUITS 



In the great Rose Family we find a number of 

 the most important genera of trees, whose seed 



