Part 21

But as this style of dryer may be adapted to raisins, I will give a few hints at its construction. The heating apparatus consists of a large iron drum, or radiator, seventeen and one-half feet long by two and one-half feet wide, set on a furnace in which is burned wood. The furnace and radiator are built into a bank, on top of which the dryer is built. This dryer is simply a large wooden box about seventeen feet square and six feet high, and looks, as seen from the outside, like a chest full of drawers. These slide on frames, are deeper than they are broad, and contain movable bottoms or trays made of small redwood ribs. They begin about two feet from the top of the radiator; if closer, the heat would be too strong for the fruit. The ventilation is had by small sliding doors at the bottom of the chest, through which the air rushes in, while it goes out through the drawers, which for this purpose are left open an inch or two. The chest is covered over with an open shed, which makes the labor pleasant, and enables the attendant to inspect any drawer at any time without seriously disturbing the heat of the dryer. The cheapness and effectiveness of such small dryers are such that every one can afford them. A dozen such small dryers all set in a row in a bank could be attended to by very few hands. They would also be preferable to very large dryers on account of the short time required to fill them, and their raisins can be dried long before a larger dryer has been filled.

As to the usefulness of steam or fire dryers there can be no doubt. The idea is not to entirely dry the raisins in them, but only to finish up the raisins when, on account of unfavorable climatic conditions, they do not dry any more out-of-doors. The question as to which are best, “machine-dried” raisins or those dried in the sun, is entirely unimportant. No one would think of drying raisins entirely in the dryer, as it would not pay. Raisins properly finished in the dryer are not inferior to those entirely sun-dried.

_Sweatboxes._--The sweatboxes should be made of strong lumber one inch thick. The length and width should be according to the size of the tray, and always one inch larger every way than the tray, in order that the raisins may be let down readily, or that they may receive a tray. The height of a sweatbox should be from six to eight inches, no more, as a greater depth will make them too heavy to be handled with ease by two men. Six inches in depth is better than eight. In order to secure the box and prevent it from splitting, the sides should be bound with hide, iron bands or with twisted galvanized wire. The latter is the strongest and best, costs the least, and is the easiest to put on.

_Trays for Drying._--The tray consists of a wooden frame made of well-dried half-inch lumber, nailed to cleats of one inch by one and one-half inch and of desired length. The lumber most commonly used is well-seasoned spruce. Pine, if not well seasoned, is apt to give the raisins a taste of the wood or of rosin, while redwood may discolor the raisins if exposed to rain or very heavy dew. But as the lumber attains age, it also becomes less injurious to the grapes. Cottonwood or poplar-wood, which can be obtained in some places, make most useful lumber for trays, as they do not contain any taste or other substance apt to injure the raisins. The size of the tray varies according to the idea of the raisin-grower, but the size generally adopted is two by three feet. Formerly a smaller tray was used, but no smaller ones are now made. A larger size, three by three feet, is used by several growers, but, while it has the advantage of holding more grapes, it is also less readily handled than the smaller tray. In the southern part of California, a tray two and one-half by three feet is very popular. The tops of the trays are bought in the shape of shingles, which should be well dried before being nailed, as they will otherwise shrink up and cause cracks to form in the tray, greatly to the detriment of the drying of the raisins. Loss is also caused by loose raisins dropping through such cracks. The cleats should be wet or green, or they will split in nailing. If too dry, they should be soaked in water over night or for a few hours. The shingles should be planed on the side which is to be placed upwards. The cost of the lumber for the trays varies from nine to twelve and one-half cents in the shooks. For nailing the trays together, a frame is made of wood and iron. The cleats are placed on the two short, opposite sides, with a heavy bar of iron immediately underneath so as to clinch the nails. The planed shingles are then placed on top and nailed to the cleats with round-wire nails, which clinch automatically on the lower side as soon as they strike the iron bar. No cleats are required on the long side of small size trays, but if a larger tray is used a bar on each side may be required to give the tray sufficient strength. A good workman, after a few days of practice, can comfortably nail up four hundred trays a day. When the season is over, every tray should be nailed up and washed, or at least swept clean and stored dry. The age of a tray, if cared for, is about ten years.

CALIFORNIA LYE-DIPPED RAISINS.

_General Notes._--In California the dipping of raisins in solutions of lye is yet in its very infancy, and I do not think that in the whole State over ten tons of lye-dipped raisins have been placed on the market yearly. But undoubtedly this process is destined to become of considerable importance, especially in localities where the drying of the first crop is accomplished with difficulty in the open air. The first and also most important condition in producing superior dipped raisins is that the grapes should be absolutely ripe. Unripe grapes will not produce any good raisins when dipped, but will turn reddish and otherwise become inferior.

_Dipping Process._--A good location for dipping raisins is by the side of an irrigation ditch, provided the water in the latter can be depended upon to flow constantly while the operation of dipping lasts. If not, the water must be procured by pumping or by means of pipes from reservoirs or water-works. Flowing water is of great importance in producing good dipped raisins, and is required for the perfect washing of the grapes. For this purpose, if no ditch is available, a large trough may be used to advantage, and so arranged that the water in it can be kept changing through a continuous flow. The following is a cheap and efficient arrangement for dipping in actual use in one of the largest raisin vineyards, and can be recommended on account of its cheapness and easy working: On one side of the trough is a stationary iron kettle with a fireplace underneath. By the trough is also placed an upright post, about five feet high, and on this balanced a horizontal beam with a double motion. It can be raised and lowered at either end, or swung to the left or right with ease. On one end of the beam is a hook on which to hang the grape bucket. On the other side of the trough is a rough assorting table. Two or more buckets are needed. These buckets are common galvanized-iron buckets, perforated thickly with holes, the latter not large enough to let any loose grapes through. In the kettle is kept constantly boiling a solution of water and potash. Soda is not suitable. The very best potash should be used in the proportion of about one pound to twelve gallons of water. The ripe grapes are now brought to the table and emptied in the buckets. A bucket is then hung on the beam, the latter swung and the bucket for a second lowered first in the pure water and then in the boiling potash; but it is immediately withdrawn and immersed in the water-trough. When rinsed for a few seconds, the grapes are taken out and spread on common raisin trays. If the weather is warm, the trays are stacked one on top of the other, and the grapes thus prepared are dried in the shade.

The rinsing of the fruit before drying is of great importance, and by far not sufficiently understood. In Valencia the finest raisins are treated that way and thoroughly rinsed before being dipped in the lye. But nowhere in Spain are the grapes rinsed in water afterwards, and it is yet an undecided question if this rinsing improves or injures the raisins. It is certain that the washing cleanses the berries, as the water in the kettle is sometimes dark and dirty; but if it is an advantage to deprive the berries of the lye which more or less sticks to them is very doubtful. It is well known here that lye-dipped raisins are apt to mold if the rains set in while the drying lasts, while we are told that in Spain the dipped raisins do not spoil even if subjected to several showers of rain. From this it will seem as if rinsing after dipping is not necessary or perhaps even injurious, but that, on the contrary, rinsing before dipping is of the utmost importance. It may be possible that the lye which adheres to the grapes will, in a great measure, prevent them from molding.

In Spain no olive oil is used for mixing in the lye, and it is not likely that the oil process will come in vogue in California until it is fully demonstrated that it not only greatly improves the grapes, but that it also enables the grower to realize a correspondingly better price for his raisins. Those who care to experiment with it cannot do better than to follow the practice as it is used in Smyrna, for a full account of which we beg to refer to the article under that heading. We might here only point out that the oil-dipped raisins of Smyrna bring many times the price of the lye-dipped raisins of Valencia. The arrangement of dipping, kettles, etc., may, of course, be greatly varied. Steam may be used for heating the lye and the rinsing water, if it is desired to keep the latter hot, and regular trays might be used to hold the grapes, instead of the buckets referred to above. Every grower will no doubt vary these appliances to suit his own fancy, and improve upon the methods of others. As an example of the devices used by another grower, we here reproduce the following from an essay on bleaching raisin grapes, compiled by the chief viticultural officer, and especially referring to the system used by Mr. Byron Jackson: “Mr. Jackson places the grapes on a tray made with a frame of iron, which is covered with wire gauze with a quarter-inch mesh. The frame projects upwards on the sides to prevent the fruit floating off while in the dip, and is made to receive, as a cover, the wooden tray on which the fruit goes to the dryer. When dipped and rinsed, the wooden tray is placed over the dipping tray, and two men transfer the fruit by turning over the two.”

The length of time required for dipping can only be ascertained by experience, and must differ with the strength of the lye, with the heat of the solution, and with the thickness of the skin of the grapes. Thus in different localities the strength of the lye and the length of immersion must always be different, and may even differ from year to year. When properly dipped, the skin of the grapes must show some very minute cracks, similar to cracks in glass which has been heated and suddenly immersed in or sprinkled with ice-cold water. Deep cracks are not desirable, as they will cause the juice of the pulp to leak out, after which the raisins will sugar. In Valencia the grapes used for dipping are the various varieties of Muscats, while in Smyrna both Muscats and Sultanas are used. Corinths are never dipped, as they dry readily and make superior raisins without this process.

_Drying and Curing._--After the grapes are dipped, they must be immediately dried either in the sun, or in sun and shade alternately, or entirely in the shade. According to the circumstances attending the drying of the grapes, the color of the raisins becomes more or less red or yellow, transparent or opaque. The most perfect amber color is attained in the shade, while in the sun the color rapidly changes to reddish, a less desirable color in dipped raisins. The more favorable is the weather for drying, the choicer will be the raisins, and the better their color. If the sun is very warm and the chances are otherwise favorable for drying, the trays should be exposed to the sun only long enough to have their dip thoroughly evaporated, and for this purpose one day in the sun may suffice. After this the stacking of the trays is advisable, and only occasionally may the trays be spread if the drying does not proceed rapidly enough. Such shade-dried dipped raisins will assume a beautiful amber-yellow color, and bring several cents more than those exposed to very warm sun. If, however, the weather is not very warm, the grapes must be dried in the sun, and the grower has then to be satisfied with the color that nature will give to his raisins. Dipped raisins do not necessarily require turning, as they generally dry well anyhow in from four to six days in fair weather. For this class of raisins dryers are very useful to help finish the drying. Such dryers must be almost air-tight, as sandstorms would invariably spoil the raisins, which, on account of their stickiness, are almost impossible to afterwards cleanse. Dipped raisins should always be dried on their trays, and on special drying grounds, which should be so constructed that no sand can blow on them, or at least so arranged that in case of rain the sand from the ground will not be splashed over the trays. In California we have at present no such drying-floors, but it will pay any one who intends dipping his grapes to construct them either of bricks, bituminous rock or lumber.

_Stemming, Grading and Packing._--Dipped raisins should be stemmed when well dried, and then graded in two grades. The proper receptacles for them are either sacks lined with paper, or twenty-pound boxes, in which they may be packed without fancy paper, or in the same way as prunes or other dried fruit. So far no uniform method of packing such raisins has been adopted in this State.

As to the usefulness and future of dipped raisins, not much can be said at present. Our importations of Valencia raisins, which are mostly dipped, are considerable, and as long as this class of cooking raisins is in demand, there is no good reason why we should not compete and endeavor to supply the demand. We can produce them as well as Spain can, and the only reason why we have not competed with Spain so far is that sun-dried raisins are so readily produced here, that it has not been to our advantage to produce anything else. There are, however, many places in our State which will grow Muscatel grapes of good quality, but with too thick skins to make them proper for sun-dried raisins. For all such localities the dipping process is to be recommended, as it will enable the growers to produce marketable raisins, and to profitably supply the demand for this variety of raisins now imported to this country from abroad. In localities with early and copious fall rains, the dipping process will enable the growers to finish quickly before the rains set in. California dipped second-crop Muscatels and Sultanas have brought as high as seven cents per pound wholesale.

THE PACKING-HOUSE.

BUILDINGS AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES.

_The Packing-house._--The packing-house should be large and airy and, whether it is made of lumber, brick or adobe, it should in preference to anything else be large. Room is needed at every operation in the packing-house, and it is hardly possible to get too much of it. So far no very large and perfect buildings for packing-houses have ever been erected in California; the raisin industry is too young for that, and even the best of our buildings are only temporary ones. It is here not possible nor desirable to give any instructions how to build and arrange a raisin packing-house, as every packer will have his own ideas and his own necessities in this respect, and not two packers would build alike. All we can do here is to refer to what is needed in a general way, in order that the reader will get some preliminary ideas of what he will require when his raisin vineyard comes in bearing.

The packing-house should contain the following apartments: First, the general packing-room, in which the raisins are assorted and packed. Then the sweating-house or equalizing room, in which the boxes are stored for several weeks in order to equalize the moisture in the raisins. Then the stemming-room, in which the stemming and grading of the loose raisins is carried on. Then we have the weighing room, where the raisins are received from the field, and where they are weighed when this is required. There should also be an office and a pasting room, where the labels are pasted on the lining paper, and finally there should be plenty of veranda or shed room all around the building, where boxes of all kinds can be received and temporarily stored, either before the raisins are packed, or afterwards when they are ready to be shipped. We might also wish to have a room for a box factory, where boxes of all kinds are nailed up. This can in our climate best be done in the shed or under the veranda. The packing-house proper should be as large as all the other rooms together. It can hardly be made too large, as during the lively packing season hundreds of hands will here be busy, each one with his special work. The floor of the packing-house should be of matched lumber, and slanting towards the center, along which should run a small gutter. Any other material, such as cement, may also be used, the only object in view being that the floor can be washed from time to time and the dirt carried off through the gutter as readily as possible. The packing-room should have places for long narrow tables, at which the packing and assorting is done, and these tables can most conveniently be run the whole length of the room. At one end there should be room for the presses and the nailing tables, as well as storage room for empty and full boxes.

_The Sweating-house._--The sweating-house or sweating-room should immediately adjoin the packing-room. It should be built either of matched lumber or of brick or adobe, in order that the temperature may be kept tolerably even and the moisture confined if necessary. The sweating-room in the Fresno Raisin and Fruit Packing Co’s house in Fresno is large enough to contain 40 tons of raisins at one time, and is about 50 feet square, while the sweating-room on the Forsyth vineyard measures about 35 feet by 50 feet, and is built of brick in two stories, the lower one of which is used for raisins, the upper one for storage. For those who wish figures, we might state as examples of buildings, that the Forsyth packing-house, which also contains a sweating-room but not a stemming-room, is 120 feet by 35 feet, and contains besides a small platform outside for the reception of boxes, etc. The Fresno Raisin and Fruit Packing Co’s building is about 150 feet by 75 feet.

_The Stemmer and Grader._--This large machine is a California invention. The principle on which it works is that the dry stems are separated by revolving the raisins rapidly in a drum made of perforated galvanized iron or of strong galvanized wire. After the stems are separated, the raisins fall together on screens of wire with various size meshes, through which the smaller berries are separated from the larger berries, while the refuse and broken stems are blown away by a fan. The most perfect stemmer and grader is the one on the Butler vineyard. The raisins are first dumped into a hopper below the floor, and from there they are run automatically on a belt to the top of the stemmer, where they enter the drum. From the drum they fall on the separating screens, which grade them in three grades, each one falling in a box of its own. Somewhat similar stemmers are seen in all the large vineyards, all run by steam and large enough to stem and grade from forty to sixty tons of raisins a day. There is considerable difference as to the ingenuity with which these stemmers are built, some requiring many more hands to run them than others. The Butler stemmer requires, part of the time, only one man for its successful running. The Forsyth stemmer stands under a shed in the open air, apart from the packing-house, in order that the dust may be freely carried away. The smaller vineyards have stemmers run by hand, and have separate graders also run by hand, large enough to stem and grade from five to eight tons of raisins per day.

_The Presses._--These are of two kinds, screw presses and lever presses. The screw press is much preferable (at least until the lever press may be perfected), as with it we can gauge the pressure given the raisins. The only press of this kind is found on the Raisina vineyard of T. C. White. The press that is generally adopted, and the one that is most handy, is the lever press, which is so constructed that four boxes of raisins can be kept in the press at one time, or until the last box or part of a box is ready. By a pressure with the foot, the levers are released and the boxes freed from the pressure. While this press is exceedingly handy and quickly worked, the pressure cannot readily be gauged, and the raisins are apt to be injured by too heavy pressure. But it is likely that improvements will soon be made which will remedy this defect.

_Boxes and Cartoons._--The California raisin boxes are of three kinds,--whole boxes of twenty pounds, halves of ten pounds and quarters of five pounds. The wholes and the quarters are those most used, while the halves are seldom used or required. The cartoons are made of paper and contain two and one-half pounds of raisins each. The following are the measurements of raisin boxes and cartoons, and of the lumber required for making them. Twenty-pound box: 9 x 18 x 4¾ inches. Ten-pound box: 9 x 18 x 2⅜ inches. Five-pound box: 9 x 18 x 1³⁄₁₆ inches. The foregoing are inside measurements. The tops and bottoms are one-quarter inch thick, 19½ inches long and 9¾ inches wide. The sides of the twenty-pound box are 19½ inches long, 4¾ inches wide and three-eighths inches thick. The ends of a twenty-pound box are 9 inches long, 4¾ inches wide and three-fourths of an inch thick. The sides of the ten-pound box are 19½ inches long, three-eighths of an inch thick and 2⅜ inches wide. The ends of a ten-pound box are 9 inches long, three-fourths of an inch thick and 2⅜ inches wide. The sides of a five-pound box are 19½ inches long, three-eighths of an inch thick and 1³⁄₁₆ inches wide. The two and one-half pound cartoon is five inches wide, ten inches long and one and one-half inches deep.