Like oranges, grapes are cut from the vines and not picked. We saw great companies of Chinamen going through the vineyards cutting off the beautiful clusters. These they placed on shallow, wooden trays to dry. In a week or two, when the upper side of the clusters is pretty well dried, the grapes are turned. We saw the workmen place an empty tray, upside down, over the filled one. Then, holding the two together, they turned them over, and the grapes dropped into the tray that had been placed on top.
Fig. 58.—Picking Grapes.—Notice the Mountains in the Background.
Fig. 59.—Drying Raisin Grapes.
During this drying time the people watch the reports of the Weather Bureau. In some places flags are displayed when rain is expected. As a rule the grape season is over before the rains begin.
When the grapes are taken from the trays, they are placed in boxes holding about one hundred pounds each. These are called sweat boxes. Here the driest grapes absorb some of the moisture from the others, and the mass becomes more uniform.
Fig. 60.—A Vineyard after being Pruned.
After the drying process has been finished, the stems are rather brittle. To make them softer and easier to handle, the grapes are next placed in a cool room and left there for a time.