_Location and Acreage._--The El Cajon and Sweetwater valleys are the
raisin centers of San Diego county. The former contains about four
thousand acres of Muscat vines, the latter about five hundred acres.
Magnificent-looking Muscat grapes are also grown within three miles of
San Diego. Escondido is by many pronounced superior for raisin grapes to
any of the other places; but El Cajon is the present center of the
raisin industry, and is likely to remain so for years. The
raisin-growing section of the two valleys lies from about fifteen to
seventeen miles from the coast line, and at an altitude of from 450 to
500 feet. The arable land in El Cajon valley contains 50,000 acres, or
perhaps less, and consists of the rolling bottom of the valley, but
which can in no way be classed as bottom land. The land partakes more
of the characteristics of mesa or upland, and extends on all sides,
slightly undulating upon the sides of the hills. Lower hills and behind
them, again, higher hills surround the valley, and the high peaks beyond
the Cuyamaca Mountains reach 4,500 feet or more. None of these hills or
mountains in sight are covered with timber of any kind, and even the
valleys are without the usual sycamores. Only in the very narrow bottom
of the creek is there a vegetation of willows and shrubbery.
_Climate and Rainfall._--The rainfall of the valley varies considerably.
It has been known to be as little as six inches and as much as twenty,
the average probably being about twelve inches, distributed as generally
elsewhere in California,--during the winter months. In summer time it
seldom rains,--perhaps a shower in two or three years. September is the
warmest month, or at least the month with the greatest number of warm
days. The highest temperature reached in the shade in El Cajon is 105
degrees Fahrenheit, and in Sweetwater valley 108, and the coldest in the
winter twenty-four degrees Fahrenheit on the upper mesa land, while on
the lower land, close to the river, the temperature falls low enough to
kill orange trees, probably somewhere about eighteen degrees Fahrenheit.
September is freer from fog than any other month. During the other
summer months there is fog in the morning two days out of three. The
fog, however, is warm and pleasant to all but consumptives, but,
nevertheless, leaves behind a soaking dew on all vegetation, and is even
heavy enough to moisten the dust on the roads. The moisture on this mesa
land--by which is meant all the land between the hills, which are too
steep to be plowed, and the actual river bottom lands--is near the
surface. In the El Cajon and Sweetwater valleys, the water is found on
this mesa at from eight to twenty feet, or at an average of from twelve
to fifteen feet. On little hills or knobs in the valley the water is
found at about the same depth. It is strange that with the water so near
the surface no perennial vegetation of either shrubbery or trees should
be found on this land. The grapevines will grow on it without
irrigation; in fact none is used anywhere now, but no doubt it would
prove profitable to irrigate somewhat, so as to increase the crops of
grapes. Water can be had through the Cuyamaca flume, but has so far not
been used. The vines do not grow after August 1st, and may stop growing
sooner.
_Soils._--The soils of the district are of four kinds: First, reddish
clay mixed with gravel, the color changing between light chocolate and
deep reddish. This soil is considered by many the most desirable.
Second, a steel or slate gray adobe with much gravel of a coarse nature.
Third, black adobe with little gravel. Fourth, alluvial sandy soil,
apparently consisting of decomposed granite mixed with much vegetable
matter. This soil is coarse, of a dark steel-gray color, very easily
worked; it is considered the best for raisins, but it contains streaks
where they will not grow and prove profitable. The last-named soil goes
gradually over into common alluvial soil of a sandy nature. The two
last-named soils are found principally in the Sweetwater valley.
_The Vines and the Vineyard._--In planting, cuttings are generally used,
not because they are most preferred, but because good rooted vines
cannot be obtained. The distance to, and the difficulty of reaching,
this district was formerly such that roots would suffer in transit and
would rapidly dry, while cuttings could be had handy and fresh. The
vines, originally planted eight by eight feet, have been given more
distance of late, some vineyardists planting them eight by twelve feet,
while others prefer twelve by twelve or ten by twelve feet. The
varieties used are the Muscat of Alexandria only. This variety happened
to be the one that was imported first from Riverside, I believe, and it
was afterwards propagated by every one. The variety as grown in El Cajon
is the type of Muscat of Alexandria with oblong berries, large clusters
with loosely hanging berries and large strong stems. The shape of the
vines is erect, with a few center shoots, strong and upright. The vines
commence bearing the second year, and are said to pay expenses of caring
for in the third year, but I think it would be safer to say in the
fourth year.
As regards cultivation and plowing, many plow both ways and harrow and
cultivate crosswise several times until the 1st of June, when, on
account of the dryness of the soil, no more weeds start and no
cultivation of any kind is needed. The large majority of the vineyards
are splendidly kept, not a weed being seen anywhere for miles around.
Winter pruning commences as soon as the leaves fall. In former years
from five to nine spurs were left in pruning and two or three eyes on
each spur, but it has been found profitable and judicious to leave more
spurs, so as to take the sap in the spring, and now from twelve to
fifteen spurs with two or three eyes each are left every winter. Spring
or summer pruning has only been practiced the last two seasons, and
being found very profitable is now adopted by everybody. The vines are
not pinched, but headed well back as soon as the grapes are well set.
This method has in this district the following advantages: It gives
better shade to the bunches on account of the production of a strong
second growth; it causes the bunches to fill better, and, finally, it
leaves more room between the rows of the vines. I was told that any of
these three advantages would warrant the system of summer pruning to be
generally adopted. The valley has been unusually free from any insect
pest, such as leaf-hoppers (_Erythroneura comes_) caterpillars,
grasshoppers, etc., but suffers from mildew, not, however, to the extent
that the presence of almost daily fogs would lead us to suppose.
Sulphuring is now practiced to some extent, but not as much as it should
be. The sulphur is applied with bellows as soon as the berries are the
size of shot, but not before. Sulphuring for colure, or the dropping of
the grapes when very small, is not practiced, nor was it ever suspected
that it would help. Colure is quite common, much more so on sandy soil.
Sunscald is frequent but not bad. I saw quite a number of grapes scalded
on every vine, but not enough to warrant any special measures to be
taken as a protection. The grapes have during this and last year ripened
by the first days of September, but it is generally much later, or at
about the 10th of September, when the vintage usually commences. The
picking was, until last year, done by white labor, but the same was so
very difficult to obtain that Chinese were then employed. They gave
satisfaction to some, while to others not. Some of the principal growers
are this year (1889) going to employ Chinese help at $1.25 per day, at
which price they board themselves.
_The Crop._--The grapes are dried on redwood trays made of sawed redwood
shingles, three-eighths of an inch thick. The trays are made two by
three feet. The best growers are this year going to assort the grapes
when putting them on the trays. This was never done before, but will be
of great advantage. A tray will average eighteen pounds of fresh grapes,
which will take about one month to dry,--never less than three weeks.
There is but little second crop, generally none that can be saved.
September is the warmest month, or else the grapes could not be dried.
At a temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit, it was found that grapes
scalded or cooked while on the trays. This is, however, very rarely the
case. From ninety-five to one hundred degrees is considered the best
temperature at which the best raisins are made. The sweatboxes used
formerly were two by three feet and ten inches deep; but of late eight
inches and six inches in depth is considered the best, on account of the
facility with which they can be handled. As to packing, many advocate
twenty-pound boxes, that are only four and one-half inches deep,
contending that they will hold twenty pounds of loose raisins. Few
Dehesas are put up, the general brands being three crown London layers,
and three crown loose Muscats. Some are also put up in fancy paper
boxes. This year the valley has two packing companies, who buy raisins
in sweatboxes, and pay from four to five and a half cents per pound. The
yield per acre is from two to three tons of green grapes, I should say
this year nearer two than three tons. I saw, however, some that would
average five tons per acre, but this land was favorably situated in a
moister place than is generally found in Sweetwater valley, and the
vines were yet growing on August 21st. I heard of much greater yields,
so extraordinary indeed that they are not likely to return again. From
five to seven tons to the acre is a really rare yield, even on the best
land, where the water is within six or seven feet of the surface. This
shows me conclusively that judicious irrigation would materially
increase the crop, and greatly improve the uniform size of the berries.
The profit on an acre of bearing Muscat vines is from fifty to one
hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre. The latter is the most any one
realized, and thirty-five dollars is considered a good profit. The
expense of running a vineyard is hard to ascertain, but those best
informed told me that forty dollars per acre would be an average; this
of course includes everything. The small amount of weeds and the absence
of irrigation materially lessens the expenses of the El Cajon vineyards.
Good vineyard or raisin land can be had for seventy-five dollars per
acre. No vineyards in bearing have changed hands. Last year’s (1888)
pack of the whole of San Diego county was variously estimated at from
twenty to thirty thousand boxes, and this year at sixty thousand boxes
of twenty pounds each.
The unanimous verdict of the best growers in El Cajon is that want of
moisture is the greatest drawback to raisin culture there. And I agree
with them in this, but also think it might to some extent be remedied,
as water for irrigation is close at hand. At last I must say a few words
as to the quality of the El Cajon and Sweetwater valley raisins. They
are very sweet, highly flavored, the skin is thin, and the seeds are
small and few. But while some of the berries are of very large size,
there are comparatively few which would be considered large, and even
the best bunches have too many small berries. The grapes that had plenty
of water were simply magnificent, and a general irrigation system would
greatly improve the size of the grapes, as well as the quality of the
crop. The best selected raisins from this valley must be counted as
among the very best. The constant fog injures the bloom on the raisins
to some extent, and most raisins that I saw were in this respect
deficient; but their color generally was very good. The Sweetwater
valley raisins are in this respect finer than those of El Cajon; they
are also farther inland, and have less fog. The Escondido raisins are
said to be superior, but I saw none of them. While many vines have been
planted in this locality of late, only one or two small vineyards are in
bearing.