The vines begin to bear in the 2nd year, but are not in full bearing till the 5th ; they continue productive for 50-75 years. The sultana vines are planted in rows 6-7 ft. apart ; they are productive in the 3rd year, and are in perfection at the 4th-6th year. The matured fruits do not fall off, but remain attached to the plant, where, with sufficient heat, they wither and dry. The drying is au operation requiring the greatest care. It is usually hastened by one of the following methods, In Spain, the ripe bunches are clipped off one by one, and placed on sloping floors, covered with small pebbles, to cure in the sun. Perhaps the finest kinds are obtained by partially severing the stalks, and leaving the bunches hanging on the vines, the leaves being at the same time removed, so as to admit the sun. In Asia Minor, the plucked fruit is slightly sprinkled with oil during the curing, to prevent too rapid evaporation, and to favour the preservation of the fruit in transit. Occasionally, the bunches are dipped into warm water, or a lye of wood ashes and lime, especially in Valencia. Of course, it is essential that damp shall be rigidly excluded during the drying period. When dry, the fruit is carefully assorted. The muscatels are classed as layers (neatly packed in fancy boxes), bunch, and loose, the last being picked off the stems. The best are for the London market ; the worst, chiefly for Scotland and America. Of Valencia raisins, about half come to London, a large proportion of the remainder going to the United States and Canada. Sultanas are very largely consumed in Germany, and in our Midland Counties. The " eleme" (or hand-picked) are specially packed for our colonies, and for ships' stores, and come chiefly from Karabourna and Vourla (Asia Minor). The Chesme growth, unpicked and unselected, form the great bulk of the German importations, and are popular in our Eastern Counties. The approximate relative values are as follows :—Muscatel : layers, 40-150s. a cwt. ; loose, 30-42s. Valencia : 25-348.; good and fine, 28-49s. Smyrna : red, 23-35s.; eleme, 30-45s. ; sultana, 30-56s. ; Belvidere, 30-31s.
The exports from Malaga, in 1878, were 2,134,518 boxes, 28,006 frails, and 19,343 barrels ; in 1879, 1,984,183 boxes, 23,000 frails, and 18,442 barrels, of which, 1,520,000 boxes, and 22,832 frails were sent to the United States, and the remainder chiefly to Great Britain, France, and Germany. The boxes contain about 25 lb. ; the frails and barrels, 50 lb. Bagdad, iu 1878, exported 477 cwt. of black raisins, value 4591., to Europe and India. Trebizonde exported 550 cases (of 11 cwt.), value 22001., in 1877, and 623 cases, 12721., in 1878, of Persian raisins to Great Britain. In 1877, Syra shipped 6891. worth of raisins and figs to Great Britain ; and Nauplia, about 220 tons of sultanas. In 1878, Syra exported 331. worth of raisins to Turkey, 14481. (including figs and citrons) to Great Britain, 2611. to Austria, 1371. to France, 1271. to Russia, and 261. to Italy. The values of the exports of raisins from Samos in 1879 were :—To France, 60,0001. ; Austria and Germany, 15,0001. ; Holland, 30001. ; England, 15001. ; Turkey and Egypt, 12001. Our imports in 1879 were :—From Spain, 339,294 cwt., 586,0231.; Asiatic Turkey, 220,078, 380,4411. ; Greece,
8788, 15,3141. ; other countries, 17,378, 23,8501.
Tamarinds (FR., Tamarins ; GER., Tamarinden).—Tamarinds are the fruit of Tamarindus indica, a tree of 60-80 ft. in height. It appears to be truly native in Tropical Africa, between 12° N. and 18° S. lat., and is found abundantly from the Upper Nile regions to the Zambesi. It occurs in Tropical Australia, throughout India, in Java, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, and largely in the W. Indies. Commercially, the fruit is divided into three kinds : E. Indian, W. Indian, and Egyptian. The first consists of the fruits deprived of their outer shell, and pressed into a mass, usually without the addition of sugar. Tho second class, when shelled, are placed in layers in a cask, and covered with a layer of boiling syrup, the cask being closed when this has cooled. A better sort, rarely found on sale, is prepared by packing the fruit with alternate layers of sugar, in stone jars. The third or Egyptian kind, prepared in Arabia, Darfur, Kordofan, Sennaar, and Abyssinia, is kneaded into discs, 4-8 in. wide, and 1-2 in. thick, dried in the sun. The W. Indian, brown, or red, tamarinds are those usually found in our shops. They are shipped from several of the W. Indies, and from Guayaquil. E. Indian, or black, are used in the manufacture of tobacco, and medicinally (see Drugs) on the Continent. Bombay exported 6286 cwt. in 1871-2. Egyptian are largely consumed in Egypt and Central Africa, and occasionally reach S. Europe. E. Indian tamarinds are worth about 8-15s. a cwt. ; W. Indian, about 10-20s.
Bibliography.—P. L. Simmonds, 'Journal of Applied Science' (London : 1870– ); Dubreuil, naturelle des Grangers' (Paris : I873); G. Blanche, 'Coltivazione del Mandolo in Sieilia ' (Palermo : 1874); Alfonso,' Coltivazione degli Agrumi ' (Palermo : 1875); P. I,. Simmonds, • Tropietl Agriculture' (London : 1877); Hardy, Culture of the Date in Algeria' (Bull. Soc. d'Aeclini., Paris, vol. V.); G. Bennett, Oranges, dm., in New South Wales' (London).
FUR (Fa., Pelleterie ; GER., Pelzwaaren).
The term "furs "is applied to the hairy coating attached to the skins of many animals, when prepared; before preparation, the skins are called " peltry." On the living animal, the fur proper, which is short, soft, curly, and barbed, is prevented from becoming matted by the interposition of longer, straight, smooth, and stiff hairs, collectively termed the "overhair," and which often lends additional beauty and value to the pelt. Furs may be divided into two :—(1) Fancy furs— those used for ornament, and having a high value; (2) Staple furs—tbose employed industrially for various purposes, and of humbler price. The best furs come from the coldest regions. The fur of water-animals is finest and shortest on the belly, longest on the back: that of land-animals is finest and longest on the beck, and flue, long, and flowing on the belly. Though several orders of the Mammalia furnish pelts, the Carnivora and Rodentia are the most important. Many animals afford skins which are marketed with the hair on, but cannot properly be called furs; therefore, this article should be read in connection with those on Hair, Skins, and Wool.