Читать книгу The Raisin Industry - Gustavus A. Eisen - Страница 13

Previous to the production of raisins in California within the last twenty years, the raisin industry of the world was entirely confined to the Mediterranean district of Europe and Asia. At that period, however, raisin grapes became more disseminated, and raisins were produced to begin with in small quantities in widely distant countries, such as Chile, Australia and California. By virtue of their climatic conditions, the Mediterranean countries were the only parts of Europe where raisin culture could be successfully carried on, though it is almost certain that the original home of the raisin grapes must be looked for elsewhere. In searching for the original habitat for the ancient varieties of raisin grapes, we must look further east to ancient Persia, or to the tablelands of Western Asia generally. In remotest antiquity, grape culture was carried on there, and in the ancient records of travelers in those countries we find mentioned dried and seedless grapes. We can trace the origin of two varieties of raisin grapes to the beginning of our era, which must then already have attained perfection. As has been mentioned before, Pliny spoke of a small, sweet and remarkable grape grown by the Greeks, evidently the “currant;” he also mentions Uva Zibebae and Uva Alexandria.

The Latins generally spoke of Uvae Apiariae or Uvae Muscae, our present Muscatels or dried grapes generally. This carries us back fully nineteen centuries. But we may well believe, even in want of records, that the drying of grapes was practiced centuries before.