Part 24

_1882._--In 1882 prices ran $2.37½ and $2.75. During all the period just reviewed, the duty was two and a half cents per pound on raisins; but in March, 1883, the duty was reduced to two cents, and yet importations for that year were only 633 boxes,--a rather singular fact. The reduction in duty does not seem to have had a very bad effect on prices, because, as is easily evident from the small importation, no competition to speak of was encountered in the local market, and, as in that year the imports at New York from Spain were many thousands of boxes short, Eastern competition was reduced to a minimum. Prices here ruled through the year at an average of from seven to eight cents a pound, anything especially choice bringing better prices.

_1883._--In 1883 California made a big stride forward in packing and curing, and fancy raisins were put up in layers and cartoons. The Dehesa brand and other fancy brands made their appearance, and as high as one dollar was paid for quarters of five pounds each, and T. C. White’s and Miss Austin’s brands became famous.

_1884._--In 1884, the year following that in which the duty was reduced to two cents, the following prices prevailed:

In January the following quotations are recorded: Malaga layers, $3.50 for wholes, $5.00 for halves, and $5.50 for quarters in frames. Valencia raisins, fifteen cents per pound. Loose Muscatels, $1.60. London layers, $4.00. Briggs, wholes $2.50,--usual advance of twenty-five cents on fractions. Blowers, wholes $----, quarters $3.50, eighths $3.75. Other raisins, $2.50 in large lots; quarter and eighth boxes twenty-five cents higher.

In August the following were the quotations: Malaga layers, $3.50 for wholes, $4.00 for halves, and $4.50 for quarters in frames. Valencias, fifteen cents per pound. Loose Muscatels, $1.90. London layers, $3.00. Briggs, wholes $1.40, halves $1.75, quarters $2.25, eighths $2.75. Blowers, wholes $2.25, halves $2.50, quarters $2.75, eighths $3.00.

In October the following quotations are to be found: Common layers, $1.00 to $1.25 for wholes, $1.50 for halves, $1.75 for quarters, $2.25 for eighths. London layers, $1.35 to $1.50 for wholes, $1.95 for halves, $2.00 for quarters, $2.50 for eighths.

In November, 1884, the following comment is made: The California raisin pack will probably be 100,000 boxes. There would have been much more but for the October rains, that prevented proper curing. The crop in Europe is short, too, and prices are much higher than they were a year ago. It is said that 15,000 boxes have been sold for the East. We quote: Malaga layers, $3.75 for wholes, $4.00 for halves, and $4.50 for quarters in frames. Valencia raisins, fifteen cents per pound. Loose Muscatels, $1.90. London layers, $4.00. Briggs, wholes $1.75, halves $2.00, quarters $2.35 to $2.50. Blowers, wholes $2.00, halves $2.25, quarters $2.50, eighths $2.75. California layers, wholes $1.50, halves $1.75, quarters $2.00.

_1885._--In 1885 the market showed a gratifying ability to absorb at profitable rates a good article, for prices ran: California common layers, $1.75 for wholes, $2.00 for halves, $2.25 for quarters. Briggs, wholes $2.00, with an advance of twenty-five cents on fractions. Blowers, $2.25 for wholes, with an advance of twenty-five cents on fractions.

_1886._--In 1886 quotations show that only extra choice Malagas were imported, and that, too, for a limited trade. Prices were: Malaga layers, $4.00 for wholes, $4.25 and $4.75 for halves and quarters. Valencia raisins, fifteen cents per pound. London layers, $3.00. California layers, wholes $1.75,--usual advance of twenty-five cents on fractions. Briggs, wholes $2.00, halves $2.25, etc. Blowers, wholes $2.25,--usual advance on fractions.

For 1886 the market is reviewed as follows: The past year has been the greatest for California dried fruit that the State has ever seen. There has been an increase in every item, and a specially heavy increase in the matter of raisins, the production of which has increased so fast that they have become a leading article of merchandise. Where we were large importers and generous consumers, more in proportion to our size than any one else in the world, we have almost totally ceased importation and are among the largest producers and exporters in the world, next to Spain itself. The total receipts of imported raisins at New York for the season of 1886-87 were as follows: 911,816 boxes of Valencias, 427,936 boxes of Malagas, 400 half boxes of Malagas, 88,657 boxes of Sultanas. The California pack is this year almost doubled, and shows great improvement in quality and packing.

_1887._--In October, 1887, prices were quoted as follows: London layers, per box, $2.00 to $2.25. Loose Muscatels, from $1.50 to $1.80.

Riverside, El Cajon and Fresno raisins of excellent quality are now in the market, and Butler and Forsyth raisins in Fresno begin to rival the very best imported brands. Many large packing-houses are established in Fresno, Riverside and El Cajon.

_1888._--The pack reaches in California 850,000 boxes, and the Fresno as well as the Riverside raisins are very large and choice. Forsyth and Butler raisins take the lead, some of the choicest layers bringing as high as one dollar per five-pound quarter box. Only 112,000 boxes of Malaga raisins are imported to the United States.

In October, 1888, the following prices were obtained for imported raisins at auction sale in New York: 645 boxes best London Layers, $3.25 to $3.12½; 348 Imperial Cabinets, $3.35 to $3.20; 200 fine Dehesa Bunches, $4.50 to $3.75; 50 Imperial Dehesa Bunches, $5.65; 104 Dehesa Bunches, $4.05 to $4.00; 100 Finest Selected Clusters, $4.45 to $4.40; 50 Finest Royal Clusters, $4.75; 3 Imperial Excelsior Dehesa Loose Muscatels, $5.00; 140 Imperial Loose Muscatels, $3.30 to $2.15; 1 Imperial Excelsior Dehesa Clusters, $5.50; 9 Imperial Dehesa Clusters, $5.12½ to $5.00; 2 Dehesa Dessert Fruit, $4.10; 1,194 Finest Valencia Layers, 8⅛ to 8 cents; 899 Finest Valencia Raisins, 7 to 6¾ cents; 150 half boxes Finest Valencia Layers, 8⅛ to 8 cents; 246 boxes Finest Sultanas, 8¼ to 8 cents.

At the same time California layers were quoted at from $1.80 to $2.25 for medium grades, while for Dehesa and Imperial quarter boxes from eighty cents to one dollar were realized. Raisins in sweatboxes were bought by packers at five cents per pound, prices not rated according to quality.

_1889._--The crop of 1889 was not as large as at first calculated, on account of loss through unusual and heavy rains. It was especially the second crop which suffered. The first crop was good, and brought good prices, average layers bringing from $1.75 to $2.25 per box of twenty pounds. Great improvement is made in packing and labels, and our average raisins are better than the average imported Malagas. Our choicest layers, however, do not yet equal in size, curing and packing the choicest Malagas, and no efforts have been made to compete with them. There are at least four higher grades packed in Malaga which we do not produce here. During last season raisins in sweatboxes have ruled higher than before, and have been bought by packers at from three to seven cents.

_1890 (to July)._--The crop promises to be as large as last year. It is greatly in demand, and representatives of Eastern and California dealers have already bought up the most of the coming crop at prices averaging one-half a cent more per pound than last year.

From the above statistics we learn that through the production of raisins in California the price of sun-dried raisins to the consumer on this coast has been lowered from $3.00, $3.75, $4.00 and $4.50 in 1873 to $2.00 and $2.50 in 1890. The importation of Malaga raisins in the United States has greatly diminished, while that of Valencia or “dipped” raisins has increased. In 1873, the United States imported 35,271,312 pounds of raisins, for which it paid $2,292,948, while in 1888 our importation was 40,340,117 pounds, or about five million pounds more, for which we paid $2,098,503, or about $200,000 less.

_Exports of Valencia Raisins from 1850 to 1889, according to English estimates:_

=====+========+========+========+======= YEAR.|England.|America.| Other | Total | | | Places.| Tons. -----+--------+--------+--------+------- 1850 | 9,423 | 165 | -- | 9,588 1851 | 8,491 | 285 | 787 | 9,563 1852 | 8,844 | 320 | -- | 9,164 1853 | 7,883 | 99 | 70 | 8,052 1854 | 7,206 | 296 | 50 | 7,552 1855 | 7,464 | 736 | 85 | 8,285 1856 | 8,909 | -- | 12 | 8,921 1857 | 9,485 | -- | -- | 7,900 1858 | 13,542 | 654 | 182 | 14,378 1859 | 9,546 | 163 | 113 | 9,822 1860 | 7,257 | 2,831 | 454 | 10,542 1861 | 8,072 | 63 | 143 | 8,278 1862 | 7,564 | -- | 238 | 7,900 1863 | 12,290 | 125 | 100 | 12,515 1864 | 8,655 | 38 | 182 | 8,875 1865 | 9,863 | 362 | 12 | 10,237 1866 | 12,735 | 403 | 473 | 13,611 1867 | 12,701 | 668 | 177 | 13,546 1868 | 14,293 | 3,095 | 794 | 18,182 1869 | 8,434 | 1,857 | 25 | 10,316 1870 | 10,060 | 2,210 | 110 | 12,380 1871 | 12,578 | 5,210 | 625 | 18,413 1872 | 15,677 | 4,088 | 535 | 20,300 1873 | 10,796 | 2,960 | 710 | 14,466 1874 | 13,724 | 5,513 | 439 | 19,676 1875 | 12,568 | 6,590 | 595 | 19,753 1876 | 15,272 | 3,816 | 676 | 19,764 1877 | -- | -- | -- | -- 1878 | -- | -- | -- | -- 1879 | 15,231 | 9,525 | 1,244 | 26,100 1880 | 13,026 | 8,977 | 892 | 22,895 1881 | 17,507 | 10,169 | 969 | 28,625 1882 | 18,121 | 21,593 | 1,732 | 41,346 1883 | 19,644 | 16,722 | 3,983 | 40,349 1884 | 10,210 | 9,686 | 4,289 | 24,185 1885 | 10,250 | 9,397 | 3,596 | 23,243 1886 | 15,194 | 15,687 | 16,113 | 36,994 1887 | 16,648 | 18,831 | 3,479 | 38,958 1888 | 15,524 | 12,245 | 4,655 | 32,424 1889 | 12,000 | 14,645 | 1,724 | 27,369 -----+--------+--------+--------+-------

_Exports of Malaga Raisins from 1864 to 1889:_

=====+=========+=======+=======+=======+=======+ YEAR.| U.S. | Brit- | Great |France.| North | | | ish | Brit- | |Europe.| | | Col- | ain. | | | | | on’s. | | | | -----+---------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ 1864 | 879,794| 45,906|258,458|137,379| 59,659| 1865 | 879,794| 75,708|269,072|171,743| 64,319| 1866 | 907,305| 72,208|220,756|178,862| 62,076| 1867 | 966,724| 96,124|166,737|129,391| 58,222| 1868 |1,053,726|125,407|222,426|163,306| 64,262| 1869 | 767,321| 58,265|175,602|117,612| 82,472| 1870 |1,331,937|120,039|216,015| 90,193| 57,687| 1871 |1,147,633| 98,817|183,916|161,123| 69,800| 1872 |1,325,705| 95,024|383,890|230,046| 72,788| 1873 |1,368,822| 45,495|241,325|196,239| 99,424| 1874 |1,320,000| 43,490|240,000|200,000| 99,500| 1875 | 976,000| 42,000|271,000|203,000| 98,000| 1876 |1,321,000| 52,000|357,000|276,000|115,000| 1877 |1,250,000| 56,600|250,000|300,000|100,000| 1878 |1,182,088| 58,242|194,471|330,767| 99,661| 1879 |1,146,228| 30,598|237,659|368,420|107,888| 1880 |1,115,101| 46,717|174,126|297,412|108,222| 1881 |1,043,727| 31,730|141,415|251,382|101,828| 1882 | 967,571| 38,431|176,349|277,253|130,646| 1883 | --| --| --| --| --| 1884 | --| --| --| --| --| 1885 | --| --| --| --| --| 1886 | --| --| --| --| --| 1887 | --| --| --| --| --| 1888 | --| --| --| --| --| 1889 | 120,000| --| --| --| --| -----+---------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

=====+=======+=======+=========+====== YEAR.| South | Sun- | Total | Total | Am. | dries.| Boxes. | Tons. | | | | | | | | -----+-------+-------+---------+------ 1864 |109,741|209,000|1,200,000|13,200 1865 | 96,658|255,000|1,800,000|19,800 1866 |115,305|191,000|1,750,000|19,250 1867 |116,762|135,000|1,670,000|18,370 1868 |103,082|215,000|1,950,000|22,450 1869 | 67,634| 80,800|1,350,000|14,850 1870 |113,755|270,000|2,200,000|24,200 1871 | 87,242|274,000|2,200,000|24,200 1872 |119,042| --|1,920,000|21,120 1873 | --|140,000|2,500,000|27,500 1874 | --| --|2,160,000|23,760 1875 | --| 98,000|1,670,000|18,370 1876 | --| 91,000|2,252,000|24,772 1877 | --| --|2,200,000|24,200 1878 | 98,429|211,000|2,180,000|23,980 1879 | 63,688|170,000|2,125,000|23,372 1880 | 75,456|197,000|2,015,000|22,165 1881 | 81,196|147,000|1,800,000|19,800 1882 | 98,007|178,000|1,200,000|13,200 1883 | --| --| --| -- 1884 | --| --| --| -- 1885 | --| --| --| -- 1886 | --| --| --| -- 1887 | --| --| 850,000| 9,350 1888 | --| --| 850,000| 8,250 1889 | --| --| 750,000| -- -----+-------+-------+---------+------

_First Cost of Crop of Valencia Raisins, according to the “California Fruit Grower:”_

1884, from $4.00 to $6.00 per hundred pounds. 1885, “ 5.00 to 6.00 “ “ “ 1886, “ 3.00 to 5.00 “ “ “ 1887, 4.00 “ “ “ 1888, from 2.00 to 4.00 “ “ “ 1889, 3.50 “ “ “

_Production and Distribution of Smyrna Raisins from 1844 to 1884, according to U. S. Consular Reports:_

1844 8,000 tons. 1868 19,000 “ 1871 48,000 “ 1872 31,000 “ 1879 75,000 “ 1881 49,000 “ 1884 95,000 “

According to English estimates, the raisin crop of Smyrna only reached 27,000 tons in 1876, and was divided as follows:

_Red Raisins._--Chesme 5,100 tons. Vourla 5,000 “ Yerly 2,800 “ Carabourna 1,600 “ ------ 14,500 tons.

_Sultanas._--Chesme 7,400 tons. Vourla 3,100 “ Yerly 1,150 “ Carabourna 800 “ ----- 12,450 tons. ------ 26,950 tons.

This crop was distributed as follows:

_Red Raisins._--England 2,699 tons. North of Europe 6,488 “ Trieste 2,260 “ Russia and Turkey 2,995 “ ----- 14,442 tons.

_Sultanas._--England 7,945 tons. North of Europe 1,525 “ Trieste 2,820 “ Russia, etc. 285 “ ----- 12,575 tons. ------ 27,017 tons.

_The World’s Raisin Production in 1889:_

Greece 125,000 tons. Smyrna 120,000 “ Valencia 28,000 “ Lipari, Calabria and Pantellaria 15,000 “ California 10,000 “ Malaga 8,000 “ Scattered 5,000 “ Chile 1,000 “ ------------- 312,000 tons.

The above does not include dried wine grapes from Italy, California and Algiers, nor any raisins made in Australia (Victoria).

_Statement Showing the Quantity and Value of Currants, Figs and Raisins Imported and Entered for Consumption in the United States from 1873 to 1878:_

====+=======================++=====================++ YEAR| RAISINS. || CURRANTS, || END-| || ZANTE AND ALL OTHER.|| ING +----------+------------++----------+----------++ JUNE| QUANTITY.| VALUE. || QUANTITY.| VALUE. || 30. | | || | || +----------+------------+++---------+----------++ | Pounds. | Dollars. || Pounds. | Dollars. || 1873|35,271,312|2,292,948 83||14,141,797|566,386 49|| 1874|36,419,922|2,544,605 95||19,319,191|752,694 00|| 1875|30,501,316|2,443,155 50||19,334,458|771,384 56|| 1876|32,221,065|2,425,277 14||20,911,061|856,425 62|| 1877|32,419,637|2,109,333 60||17,152,664|749,488 00|| 1878|32,931,736|1,904,866 13||17,941,352|776,827 00|| ----+----------+------------++----------+----------++

====++==================== YEAR|| FIGS. END-|| ING ++---------+---------- JUNE||QUANTITY.| VALUE. 30. || | ++---------+---------- || Pounds. | Dollars. 1873||7,995,035|506,205 45 1874||5,630,292|391,300 16 1875||4,659,860|357,823 99 1876||5,056,779|361,835 53 1877||5,889,011|398,982 22 1878||3,873,884|262,428 15 ----++---------+----------

_Statement Showing the Quantity and Value of Currants, Figs and Raisins Imported and Entered for Consumption in the United States, with Rates of Duty, etc., from 1879 to 1888:_

RAISINS.

====+==========+============+=======+============+========== YEAR| QUANTITY.| VALUE. | Rate | AMOUNT OF |Additional END-| | | of | DUTY | and ING | | | Duty. | COLLECTED. | Discrim- JUNE| | | | | inating 30. | | | | | Duty. ----+----------+------------+-------+------------+---------- | Pounds. | Dollars. |Per lb.| Dollars. | Dollars. 1879|38,523,535|1,943,941 14|2½ c. | 963,088 42| 92 51 1880|39,542,925|2,274,763 00|2½ c. | 988,573 19| 48 43 1881|39,654,755|2,711,771 74|2½ c. | 991,368 94| 80 50 1882|43,779,867|3,260,033 74|2½ c. |1,094,496 71| -- 1883|51,487,389|3,495,599 45|2½ c. |1,287,184 77| 20 70 1884|56,676,658|3,543,916 15|2 cts. |1,133,533 15| 52 70 1885|39,778,695|2,728,847 46|2 cts. | 795,573 90| 247 35 1886|37,999,306|2,782,599 76|2 cts. | 759,986 12| 50 00 1887|40,660,603|2,297,469 30|2 cts. | 813,212 06| 34 00 1888|40,340,117|2,098,503 00|2 cts. | 806,802 34| 80 10 ----+----------+------------+-------+------------+----------

CURRANTS, ZANTE OR OTHER.

====+==========+============+=======+============+========== YEAR| QUANTITY.| VALUE. | Rate | AMOUNT OF |Additional END-| | | of | DUTY | and ING | | | Duty. | COLLECTED. | Discrim- JUNE| | | | | inating 30. | | | | | Duty. ----+----------+------------+-------+------------+---------- | Pounds. | Dollars. |Per lb.| Dollars. | Dollars. 1879|17,405,347| 520,831 07|1 ct. | 174,053 47 | -- 1880|18,007,492| 600,603 40|1 ct. | 180,074 92 | -- 1881|21,631,512| 845,773 00|1 ct. | 216,315 12 | -- 1882|32,592,231|1,388,886 00|1 ct. | 325,922 31 | -- 1883|31,171,171|1,247,504 00|1 ct. | 311,711 71 | -- 1884|32,743,712|1,220,575 16|1 ct. | 327,437 12 | -- 1885|25,534,507| 723,415 00|1 ct. | 255,345 07 | -- 1886|22,623,171| 744,784 00|1 ct. | 226,231 71 | 117 80 1887|29,196,393|1,062,326 00|1 ct. | 291,963 93 | -- 1888|30,636,424|1,176,532 76|1 ct. | 306,364 24 | -- ----+----------+------------+-------+------------+----------

FIGS.

====+==========+============+=======+============+========== YEAR| QUANTITY.| VALUE. | Rate | AMOUNT OF |Additional END-| | | of | DUTY | and ING | | | Duty. | COLLECTED. | Discrim- JUNE| | | | | inating 30. | | | | | Duty. ----+----------+------------+-------+------------+---------- | Pounds. | Dollars. |Per lb.| Dollars. | Dollars. 1879| 3,369,475| 247,075 06|2½ c. | 84,236 89| -- 1880| 6,266,413| 440,507 00|2½ c. | 156,660 34| -- 1881| 3,420,427| 379,382 55|2½ c. | 85,510 72| -- 1882| 8,874,186| 678,341 87|2½ c. | 221,854 70| -- 1883| 5,345,324| 489,108 38|2½ c. | 133,633 09| -- 1884| 7,840,634| 504,532 02|2 cts. | 156,812 68| -- 1885| 7,774,492| 516,083 63|2 cts. | 155,489 84| 6 50 1886| 6,988,642| 499,985 80|2 cts. | 139,772 84| -- 1887| 8,752,898| 488,632 00|2 cts. | 175,057 96| 137 00 1888| 9,965,584| 495,541 50|2 cts. | 199,311 68| -- ----+----------+------------+-------+------------+-----------

_Statement of Consumption of Currants and Raisins per Head of Total Population in 1884:_

United Kingdom of Great Britain. 4.38 pounds. United States of North America. 1.70 “

_Prices Ruling in the California Raisin Districts:_

It is not my intention to give here a regular prospective estimate of the cost of a raisin vineyard and the profits to be derived therefrom. Such an estimate, applicable to every case, cannot be made out; about it not two raisin-growers with equal experience would agree. Below I simply give isolated statistics of costs of the various operations necessary in the raisin industry. Each one can figure for himself, and my advice is to add liberally to the calculated expenses, if disappointment would be avoided.

As to the profits of a raisin vineyard, the reader will by this time understand how it might vary, how it must depend upon nice little circumstances, never foreseen and only to be taken advantage of or counteracted by the experienced grower. The high statements which have been given in these pages as samples of how much might be gained from an acre of raisin-vines can never be counted on as regular. From fifty to several hundred dollars per acre may be obtained as net profit by care, skill and favorable circumstances, but an average of seventy-five dollars per acre can be considered a conservative sum, which the owner of a good irrigated vineyard may calculate on as a safe net profit. Many do not reach even that. But, even with that profit per acre, how many horticultural industries can be counted on to produce better results? Very few, if any. For the benefit of those who desire figures to guide them, the following statistics are offered. They have been carefully compiled in company with T. C. White, one of the most prominent raisin-growers the State has ever had. These statistics refer especially to the Fresno district, but they will be found to differ but little from those elsewhere in this State.

Land suitable to raisins can be had at from fifty to two hundred dollars per acre. No one not thoroughly acquainted with the requirements of raisin land should attempt to rely on his own judgment alone in making a selection.

Vines, already rooted, at from ten to twenty dollars per thousand vines. An average would be fifteen dollars. The cost of _rooting_ vines is from one dollar to two dollars and fifty cents per thousand, according to locality and circumstances.

Cuttings, from two to three dollars per thousand, more or less, according to size and quality.

Planting rooted vines, one cent per vine. Planting cuttings, half a cent per cutting.

Plowing yearly, one dollar and fifty cents per acre.

Harrowing, fifty cents per acre.