—In the immediate vicinity of Colusa there are about one hundred and fifty acres in bearing, and fully one hundred acres more will be set out the coming season. The crop of raisins in 1888 was very insignificant; but in 1889 the Colusa canneries packed forty tons in boxes. The prices ranged from $1.75 to $2.25 per box, according to quality. These figures refer only to the territory lying within a radius of eight miles of Colusa. Some of the finest raisin grapes in the county are grown near College City, and the entire output was at least eighty tons of raisins. Many of the people around Orland are reported as going into the business on a large scale. The ranchers in and near the foothills are also producing raisins of excellent quality. A single vineyard of fifteen hundred acres is being planted in one place in the foothills.
Butte County.
—While Butte produces a fair quality of raisins, her vineyards are yet young and are just coming into bearing. The older vines are those of General Bidwell, at Chico, covering about one hundred acres, and those of Oroville and Mesilla valley, embracing about the same area. A large number of young vines have been set out during the past two years, and these number 52,200 near Oroville, 77,480 at Palermo, 67,200 at Thermalito, 20,570 at Wyandotte, 25,000 at Central House, 50,500 at Gridley, and something over 50,000 near Chico. These have nearly all been planted within the past two years, but a limited number are three years old. In the foothills are a number of small vineyards, but it is impossible to ascertain the acreage and product, though the total of each is not large. Practically the bearing vines of Butte number between 300 and 400 acres. The one and two year old vineyards embrace about 350 acres, so that a conservative estimate for the total raisin vineyards of the county, young and old, would be 700 acres. The raisins are all boxed and sold directly by the vineyardists, the local demand taking nearly the whole crop. The area to be planted this year will not exceed 250 acres.
Tehama County.
—The area planted to grapes in Tehama county is over ten thousand acres. The greater part of the fruit grown is used for wine, and probably one-third for raisins. All the raisins produced here are packed in boxes, and a large portion is used in home consumption, while the remainder is shipped. Probably about ten thousand boxes in bulk and packed will cover the yield.
Shasta County.
—The raisin industry of Shasta county is only in its infancy. There are 147 acres planted to raisin grapes within a radius of fifteen miles from Redding. The largest acreage of raisin grapes is in Happy valley. There are patches of grapes all through the foothills. Probably not over one thousand boxes of raisins were shipped. The planting of raisin grapes continues every year. Raisins are made by many small growers, and sold here at an average of six cents per pound.
FRESNO AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
General Remarks.
—The San Joaquin valley is well adapted to raisins along its whole length almost, but especially in its central and southern parts. The farther we go south in the valley, the drier is the climate, and the less is the rainfall in the autumn of the year, both conditions favoring the curing of the grapes. The present raisin center is around Fresno City, where over twenty-five thousand acres are planted to raisin grapes, principally Muscatels; but from this locality the industry has been constantly spreading, until at present the other counties in the valley, viz., Merced, Tulare and Kern, can show a good acreage of young vines. Next after Fresno, Tulare county produces the largest quantity of raisin grapes, and produces raisins of the very highest quality. The principal raisin vineyards in that county are situated in the Mussel Slough district, on the rich bottom lands formed by the former delta of Kings river; of late, the planting of raisin grapes has extended to other parts of the county as well. In Kern county few old raisin vineyards exist, the oldest one being situated on the Livermore ranch, being a part of the Haggin and Carr tract. Several hundred new acres have been planted there this spring, especially in the Rosedale, Lerdo and Virginia Colonies, as well as on the plains near Delano. I need here hardly say that the raisins of Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Merced counties should be all classed together, as the climate in these various localities is one and the same, with only a slight and gradual change as to rainfall as we go south in the valley. If there will, in the course of time, be found some difference as regards quality in the raisins of these various localities in the San Joaquin valley, this difference will not be due to any great difference in the climate, but to the variety of soil on which the grapes are grown. The raisins are only grown on the level lands, situated from three to four hundred feet above the sea.