Competition in Raisin Growing.
California is a great raisin country. Immense quantities of raisins from this valley are exported annually to all parts. The muscat is the raisin grape generally grown, but there are several other varieties. The Sultana and the Thompson seedless are small grapes without seeds. During grape-picking-time the country presents a lively aspect. Men, women, and children find employment during the grape season, and a quick worker may earn good wages. One may often see whole families having come from a distance to pick grapes on some large vineyard, camping out in light tents either in the field or beside the country road-side.
The grapes are picked in rows and placed upon trays. The bunches are detached from the vines by a sharp knife, and any injured or decayed grape is removed. A grape-picker is paid, generally, two and a half cents a tray. A good picker sometimes fills seventy-five trays in a day. But they will assure you it is no light work to pick grapes in the hot sun, the thermometer over one hundred in the shade. When the grapes are partially dried they are skilfully turned over into an empty tray so that the under side will be exposed to the sun.
As soon as the grapes are properly cured the trays are stacked, and the raisins are put into sweat boxes ready to be taken to the packing-house, where they are weighed. The loose raisins are set apart from the choice clusters, and are placed in a stemmer, which is worked by machinery, and which throws out the stems and any refuse matter. The clusters and layer raisins are pressed in forms and placed in the boxes, layer by layer. Paper is spread between each layer. Ribbons and beautiful chromos serve to give the final finish, and the dainty boxes of fruit are sent away by the car-load all over the United States.
At one time raisins were a source of great profit, but now vineyards have become more extensive, and as there is a greater supply of raisins prices have been much lower.
Bessie M. Roberts.
Hanford, Kings Co., Cal.
Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions.
Sir Knight Willis H. Kerr sends the following formula for fogged plates, which he thinks the Camera Club will appreciate: Bromine water, 50 cc.; tincture of iodine, 20 cc.; distilled water, 1 litre. After immersing the plates in this solution for two or three minutes they should be washed and dried. If the plate has been only partially exposed to light, it should be exposed to lamp-light in order to make the fog impression uniform. The plates must be immersed in the solution by red light and tried in a dark room.
Sir Knight H. J. Maccoy asks how to print pictures from a negative where the glass is broken, but the film is not. If there is one clear break across the glass place the negative in the printing-frame, pushing the broken edges closely together, holding them firmly while adjusting the sensitive paper. Place the negative at such an angle with the light that the crack will not make a shadow on the paper, and print in the shade. If there are several cracks in the glass put the negative in the printing-frame, supporting it with a piece of plain glass; tie cords to the printing-frame so that it may be suspended by them, hang the frame from some projection where it will not hit anything, and keep it revolving during the printing. By keeping the plate moving all the time the cracks in the glass do not cast a shadow long enough in one place to leave any impression on the sensitive paper.