the many vicissitudes to which he is exposed; and, without it, this would truly be "a valley of tears.' But like most other valuable gifts, it has been abused, and what was intended to induce good and social feelings between man and man, to produce cheerfulness and a becoming hilarity, temperance and health, has been converted into an engine of mischief, ill-temper and disease.

It is very difficult to counteract habits and opinions of long standing, even when they are admitted to be founded on error, and very injurious. We cannot, therefore, expect to gain an unqualified assent to the propositions here above enounced, or that implicit submission will be yielded to them. Believing firmly as I do, that the promulgation of them, and the offering as a proof of the assertions here made, an opportunity of giving them a full trial, I conceive it my duty to exert my feeble efforts to induce the real philanthropists of this country, to make a full trial of cultivating the vine, and of making wine which they will know to be unadulterated; satisfied that good genuine wine, like virtue, need only to be truly known to be truly loved.

dom uniformly and as perfectly as the first; and this is, moreover, as stated above, at the expense of the following year's crop, and to the injury of the vine. If this be ever done for the purpose of obtaining a second crop of grapes, only one branch, or rather shoot, ought to be so treated, unless the vine is large and very luxuriant, when two shoots to each such a vine may be made thus to perform a double task. I know that this operation of shortening the shoots is recommended by many writers on the subject, and this with the view, as they say, to throw more sap and nourishment into | the fruit. In this I believe they are mistaken; or, if not, I am satisfied it will not answer a good purpose in our climate and with our luxuriantly growing vines. It seems to me that the reasoning of these writers is not correct; for, if plants take in nourishment from the atmosphere by their leaves, the suppression of a considerable part of the leaves bearing shoots, must deprive the vine of a part of its expected food; though, perhaps, the fruit may be rendered thereby the richer in saccharine matter, by subtracting from the luxuriance of the vine. This may be the case, though my experience seems not favorable to such a conclusion; besides The methods of making wine in various parts the inconvenience of losing the buds of the next of the world are as diversified as the culture of year's crop. In order to ascertain, in some degree, the vine itself. They are founded, however, on the effect of shortening the shoots on the fruit, and general principles which must be understood beto prevent the growing of the interleaves and fore success can reasonably be expected. It is buds, I have several times operated as follows, on needless here to give an elaborate analysis of shoots which I intended to be cut off at the follow- wine. It is sufficient to say that grapes being fuling pruning. After cutting off the shoot two or ly ripe, contain, besides other ingredients necessathree buds above the fruit, I carefully with a pen-ry to produce fermentation, a quantity of sugar, knife scooped out all the buds of the shoot, taking which the process of fermentation disposes to be care not to injure the principal leaves. The effect converted into alcohol, which may be obtained on the fruit was so insignificant as not to be ob- from it by the process of distillation. The unferservable. The grapes ripened well, but were nei-mented juice of the grape, which is called "must," ther larger nor better than the others; indeed they were rather smaller.

On wine making.

is very sweet; but when it has become wine by fermentation, scarcely any remnant of a sugary taste is perceptible. It has then become fit for use, being nutritive, stomachic, and exhilarating, according to the proportion of the sugar it originally contained, and the perfection of the fermenting process. Fermentation goes on, though insensibly, for a long time, even for years, when the liquor becomes more perfect, more mellow and pleasant: in short it becomes good old wine.

Wine is the fermented juice of the grape; any thing else, though it may be called by this name, is not wine, but only an adulteration or an imitation of it, which may be palatable, pleasant, and perchance, wholesome. By far the greater part of those liquors that are generally known by the Before one proceeds to the gathering of the names of "home made wine," "manufactured grapes, every implement used, vats, press, casks, wine," &c., and even many that are sold as genu- &c. must have been prepared before hand with ine, are compounds which are frequently injurious the utmost care. Great nicety and perfect cleanto health, and very seldom inoffensive as a usual liness, are of the utmost importance; for there is beverage. It has been observed that the people of perhaps nothing that takes so readily the taste of this country are more liable to dyspepsia, liver substances with which it comes into contact as complaints, and other diseases of a similar nature, wine. Every vessel, then, that is to contain it in and that the frequent use of ardent spirits, even any stage of the process must be properly cleansed, in a very diluted state, or disguised under the form and if new casks are used, great care must be had of various wines, is the chief, if not the only cause that they have been well charred inside, and puriof it. A taste for strong wines has, unfortunately fied by repeated washings with water, common for us, been produced, probably by the first import- salt, and lime or ashes. Some recommend a deers of wines across the ocean, who, fearing lest it coction of grapevine leaves poured hot into the should not resist the effect of so long a voyage, casks, and afterwards well rinsed with pure water, thought of securing it by adding to it a quantity of and well drained. If the casks have contained brandy; and a wine which is not strong enough, wine, one of the heads is to be taken out, and the when drank in a very moderate quantity, to pro- inside will be found incrusted with tartar which duce something like an incipient state of intoxica- must be scraped out, and then it is to be cleansed tion, has been rejected as trash, and a decided pre- as above stated, for the new ones, except that they ference given to such as had a powerful effect. need no charring, nor long soaking to extract the Really good and genuine wine is among the best taste and coloring matter of the wood, as new vesof the numerous blessings that a kind providence sels do. I have generally found that vessels that has bestowed on man, to assist him in supporting have contained French brandy, particularly that

which is not highly colored, are the best seasoned used only for this purpose, and when the contents of any for wine. Other spirits, such as whiskey, are sufficiently bruised, one of the sides, which is apple or peach brandy and rum, give the casks a made to slide in and out, is taken out and the taste which can scarcely ever be got rid of. After mashed grapes are shoved into the vat, when anothe casks have been well drained and are dry in- ther supply of grapes is put in, and so on till the side, the finishing preparation is to burn a sulphur whole of it is done. A better way still, which I match within them, and put in the bung, when it never have seen in use or ever heard of, until I had is fit to receive the liquor. The sulphur matches contrived it for my own convenience, but which I are made by dipping strips of coarse linen or cot-have since seen delineated and recommended in ton cloth into melted brimstone. A piece of it Thiebault de Bernaurd's Manual, &c. It is two about an inch wide, and three or four inches long, is rollers with each a crank. These rollers are about enough for a quarter cask. It is lighted and sus-two feet long, more or less as may be needed, and pended by a wire so as to be about the middle of about six or seven inches in diameter. They are the cask. The bung is used to stop the hole and so placed on a frame as to be easily brought closer hold the wire to its place while the match is burn- or farther apart, so as to crush the berries without ing, which takes place in a minute or so. It is cracking the seeds; to prevent which bad effect, I proper to observe that casks used for new wine selected a very soft wood, the tupelo, so that the ought to be very strong, and of very thick staves, seeds would rather make an impression on the rolor else after the sensible fermentation is over, and lers than the latter on them, unless, indeed, they the bung is driven in close, the insensible fermen- were much too close together. I found the proper tation which still goes on, will force the wine distance to be about a full eighth of an inch. A through many places that would have contained hopper is so fixed above them as to bring the grapes almost any other liquid without the least leakage. readily to pass between the rollers. These are There is not much danger of the grapes being turned by two children, and it is so easy a work for too ripe for wine, and the vigneron must be aware them, that they must be continually checked for that it is only when grapes have acquired the ut- turning too fast. It is almost incredible what most degree of maturity, that they contain as quantity of grapes can be most completely mashed much sugar as it is their nature to do, and that it in a short time, by means of this machine. It peris only during the last part of the maturing process forms its operation certainly better and more thothat they acquire this most desirable ingredient; for roughly than can be done, I think, by any other grapes are fit to eat long before they are ripe means. It is most surprising that so obvious, enough for wine. It is very desirable to select simple and convenient a contrivance, should not good, dry and pleasant weather for the vintage, have been in use generally in Europe for centuries and to have gatherers in sufficient number to ga- past! At this stage of the process, the quantity ther in one day, or two at the most, all the grapes of saccharine matter contained in the juice is to be that are to be made into wine at one time. The ascertained; for it would be a very useless and unreason of this is obvious; for fermentation begins certain operation, if the fermentation had gone on as soon as they are together in quantity, and before for some time. This may be done by trying whethey are mashed; so that any that had been gather an egg will float in it, so as to have a small thered several days before, if mixed with the last, will be in different stages of fermentation, which may disturb the process in some degree. In gathering the grapes great attention must be given to the gatherers, that they pick out all such berries as may be rotten and all the green ones, and that they do not unnecessarily bruise them. Common scissors with both points sharp, are the most convenient implement to gather the grapes with, and take out the bad ones. The stems should be cut short and each bunch carefully deposited in baskets or other suitable and convenient vessels. These are occasionally emptied by the carriers into large tubs and, carried immediately into the vat, if near enough, if not, into hogsheads, with one head out and set up in a wagon to receive the grapes, and thence, when full, carried to the vat. This is a large vessel made of oak, very strong, and of a size proportioned to the quantity of grapes to be made into wine at one time, and the larger it is the better; for it is believed that the fermenting process goes on the better, the greater the quantity of matter in fermentation. The grapes are then to be mashed. There are various methods of doing this. The most common one is for men to get into the vat with their naked feet and legs, and trample them down until they suppose every berry is bruised. A better and neater way is to put a small quantity of the grapes at a time into a box placed on pieces of timber over the vat, the bottom and sides of the box being perforated with holes. A man then gets in with a pair of wooden shoes

portion of it out of the liquid. Or by an arcometer, which is the instrument I use. That of Beaumé for syrup, or that for salts, is the suitable one. The juice of my Madeira grape raises the instrument usually about 10° and it requires about half a pound of good sugar per gallor, supposed to be in the vat, to raise it to 13 or 140, which is fully enough to make a good and durable wine. Some grapes, the Lenoir, for instance, are richer, and the latter sometimes raises the instrument to 13° full; so that it is sufficiently rich to make a good wine without the addition of any sugar. After the whole has been well stirred in the vat, so as to have completely mixed the sugar with the mashed grapes, some of the must is again taken out and tried with the egg or the areometer, when sugar is again added, if insufficient. If otherwise, the vat is covered with boards and a cloth, and the whole suffered to ferment for one, two, three or more days, according to the temperature and the object in view, and the activity of the fermentation. As the weather is usually hot here at the season of vintage, I find usually twenty-four to thirty-six hours sufficient, particularly as the object is not to obtain a highly colored wine, and also for fear a longer fermentation with the mare would extract from it, that is, from the skins, seeds and stems, too much tannin, which might make the wine too astringent, which though very wholesome, is not generally so palatable as a less degree of it. During the time of fermentation in the vat, its contents should be stirred several times, and the top, which

spoiled, and never can make good wine. It has now, however, become very pleasant, palatable and wholesome, although its fermentation is not fully completed. It becomes again, at certain periods, as if about to spoil and turn to vinegar; but the owner, or his substitute, need not be alarmed; for it is only produced by a slight renewal of fermentation, which though not otherwise perceptible, has in reality produced this effect, which will have disappeared in a few days, or a week or two, with an evident improvement of the wine. These periods of renewed fermentation are said to be, first when the sap rises in the vine in the spring, se

is acquiring its maturity. Although these are the observations of illiterate men, who attribute to these periodical circumstances of the vine the renewed fermentation of the wine, the fact is true, though the cause must be looked for elsewhere; probably that which affects the vine and that which affects the wine, are the same changes in the temperature of the atmosphere, together with the state of the wine.

has been raised, is to be depressed down into the more liquid part at the bottom. This is deemed necessary, lest the top having immediate access to the air, should become too acid and impair the quality of the wine. I usually stir and push it down twice in about twenty-four hours. The vat being provided with a large cock, two or three inches above its bottom, this serves to draw off all the liquor that will run out without pressure, and it is at once put into the casks ready to receive it. The remaining contents of the vat are then carried to the press to extract all the juice, and this last is either mixed with the former, or is put into separate vessels; for that from the press is more astrin-cond when it is in bloom, and then, when the fruit gent than that which has run freely from the vat. When only a small quantity of wine is made, it is not usual to keep these two qualities separate, as it gives a great deal of additional trouble to have two sets of vessels, the contents of which are to be kept always separate. The casks into which this must is put, (for it is not yet wine,) are not filled by about three or four inches, according to their sizes. The object of this is to allow room for the continued fermentation, and prevent loss by The above described manner of making wine is the must running over. The bung holes are then the general practice founded on experience from covered by two or three vine leaves and loaded time immemorial. (I must except the addition of with a double handful of moistened sand. Some, sugar, which is not done in Europe, except by instead of this, use small bags full of sand. Either very few; and this is probably the reason that their act as a valve that will rise if the fermentation is wines vary more in quality, according to the seaviolent, and suffer carbonic acid gas to escape. It sons, than would otherwise be the case.) There is yet the opinion of some persons that the casks are, however, many alterations, probably improveshould be filled up, so that the rising of the froth ments, for the purpose of varying the qualities and and other matter excited by the fermentation, properties of the wine. If a highly colored wine should run out of the cask; but the only difference is desired, and this is much regarded in France, it that I ever could find is, that in the latter case, is suffered to ferment longer in the vat. The colorsome of the wine is lost with the foam, &c.: ing matter is obtained from skins by fermentation, whereas, by the former process, it settles to the which also extracts from the stems and seeds an bottom and adds that much to the lees. The fer- astringent principle, which is very manifest in all mentation will go on for two or three weeks, de- red wines, and strongly marked in port. This ascreasing gradually in energy, till at last it is insen- tringency is certainly one of the good qualities of sible, and is no longer heard by applying the ear to wine, when not in excess. I believe, that for one the cask. When this is the case, the casks are to cask of white wine that is made in France, one be filled up to within about an inch of the top, and thousand of red is produced. Some of the white the bung driven in close. In this state great care wines are, however, more pleasant to delicate pais to be taken, and the casks visited at first often, lates, (I mean generally, for there are many exabout twice a day, lest the fermentation increasing ceptions,) and in some cases, are as wholesome, should burst the cask or produce some leaks. The though their properties are different. The best better to guard against this, a gimlet hole is made white wines, if we except a very few of the within an inch or two of the bung, and stopped choicest kinds, are probably those made of black with a peg that can be loosened and taken out for grapes, of which champagne is the most noted. a moment occasionally, at the frequent visits to the In making these wines, great precautions are necasks. The taking out of this peg for a minute cessary to prevent their acquiring any degree of allows the escape of the gas, and precludes all dan- color from the skin. It is according to the process ger. The whole is finally left undisturbed for six of making champagne, that I make a white wine or eight weeks, except that the casks are often of my Madeira grape, which is known to a few filled up; for as the fermentation increases the bulk gentlemen in Baltimore, and to many in South of the liquor, the vessel, which should be kept full, Carolina. The process is as follows: the grapes must be filled up when it has subsided. After being fully ripe, and the weather favorable, the this, taking advantage of a clear cold day, the gathering commences as early as possible, by day wine is to be drawn off its first lees, and put into break if practicable, for it ought to be discontinued other casks which must have undergone a due by the middle of the day, unless the sky is cloudy, preparation to receive it. The fumigation with a for fear the heat of the sun should tinge the juice. sulphur match is by no means to be omitted here; They are gathered and picked with uncommon for it is then more necessary than at first. Its ob- care, so as not to bruise them and leave no rotten ject is, besides purifying the air contained in the berries in the bunches, the finest of which are secask, to prevent an undue renewal of the fermen-lected. As fast as the baskets of the gatherers tation, to which the wine is liable after being stirred, and thus exposed to the atmospheric air. Until this period the must, in its progress to becoming wine, is very harsh and unpalatable, and, to a person not accustomed to it, it would seem that it has

are filled, they are very carefully and gently emptied into the press, if near enough, if not, into tubs to be carried to it by men; taking the utmost precaution lest they should be bruised by either removal, for fear the fermentation should commence and

who avowed the same thing. What "trois-six" | there is no light, or any change of temperature, is, it is not possible for me to say from the name; must, if it were sound when put in, remain sound but I presume it is alcohol, of a certain degree of for many years, though it be not a very strong strength. Be this as it may, I am satisfied it is wine. only a recent practice in France, and I doubt its extension beyond the country where it is said to be adopted. Whether the practice is good or bad, I have no experience to determine; but it is very possible that the preference is given in that country to spirit over sugar, because the latter is much dearer than the former, in proportion to its effect.

There are various other processes of making wines of particular qualities, and in certain districts; but, as I am not practically acquainted with them, I shall only notice them very briefly. In places where they wish to make a strong wine, without the addition of either sugar or brandy, they reduce the must by boiling,-evaporating a quantity of its water, whereby the proportion of the saccharine matter to the liquor is increased. Others attain the same object by laying the very ripe grapes on an extensive floor on straw; so that they dry almost to raisins. The great objection to either of these modes of proceeding, in a country of beginners, is, that the quantity of wine made is thereby considerably diminished, and we naturally enough aim at quantity as well as quality, and it appears to me more economical, to supply the deficiency of sugar, by sugar itself, than to do it by evaporating a part of the liquor.

There is another subject, intimately connected with wine making, which I have not yet noticed. It is the cellar. A good cellar-one calculated to keep light and delicate wines-ought to be so deep that no change of temperature is experienced in it throughout the year. It should also be rather dry than damp; for too much moisture is injurious to the casks. If I had such a cellar, I could easily make and keep wine without sugar; but in such as we have here,-dug only one, two or three feet deep, and merely covered by the floor of the house over it such wine would probably be too often affected by the changes of temperature, to resist long. I have seen champagne upwards of thirty years old, that had been kept in a cellar at least twenty-five feet deep, and it was as brisk as if it had only been two or three years old. We have then, as yet, no chance of getting accustomed to the use of very light wines, which are gentle in their effects, tonic, exhilarating, and not producing intoxication, unless drank to a very great excess; and even then, the consequences of intoxication, by such wine, are not as injurious as that produced by the stronger ones. If, however, intoxication is the object, it is much more readily obtained by brandy itself, without resorting to the farce of drinking it mixed with wine and calling it exclusively by the latter name.

ON THE CAUSES OF FAILURE IN VINE CUL

TURE AND WINE MAKING.

To the Editor of the Farmers' Register.

Columbra, S. C., November 15th, 1834.

As

In the No. for the present month of the Farmers' Register, you request that light may be afforded on the causes that have hitherto operated against a complete success in the culture of the vine, in an extended or more general way; for, as you truly say, "the best proof has not yet been furnished by the successful and profitable general results of the labors of any one individual." you honor me especially with this request, I must do my best efforts to do what seems to me very difficult, after the many disappointments which I have myself suffered, and witnessed in others. Great, however, as these disappointments have been, they have chiefly been so as compared with our unreasonable expectation; but not so as to deter the well wisher to so good a cause, from persevering in his efforts. It is true that, as you say, "there is no doubt as to our being able to raise delicious grapes, and sometimes abundant crops of them-and also that from them excellent wine has often been made." Wherever good grapes can be raised, it is indisputable that wine can be made, and its quality will depend on the soil, culture, kinds of grape, and particularly on the skill of the person that makes it. Although little has, as yet, been made for sale in this country, some has been sent to a considerable distance, which was so well relished as to induce an order for a quantity three times greater than the first sent, and the order has been complied with. Besides this, several gentlemen have been now for some years in the practice of making wine fully sufficient for the consumption of their household. All this is worthy of attention--but yet we cannot deny that it has not yet been made a profitable object of culture, and the causes of failure are probably many, and one in particular, impossible to correct: I mean the irregularity of our climate. Among the others may be reckoned, that the experiments hitherto made have been on too large a scale, which precluded the multiplying of them as much as they should have been. I know a gentleman who, before he had any experience, began with twenty to thirty acres, and he has now about fifty or more acres in cultivation. Experiments on such a subject are very expensive, on account of the length of the time required to complete them, by which the patience of the experimenter is often exhausted before he could have calculated on a result; but, if the trial has been made on a large scale, the expense attending it may also have frequently warned the imprudent, though patriotic zealot, that by seeking thus for wine, he may lose his bread.

Where they have good and deep cellars, it is not usual to put the wine into them before it has been drawn off its first lees; but it is kept until that time in what is called a "celier," which corresponds more with our cellars here. A good cellar, then, should be twenty-five or thirty feet below the surface of the ground, vaulted with stone or In order to have reasonable hopes of success in brick, and have apertures leading to the external such an enterprise, every point of difficulty is to air. Wine, in good casks well filled, or still bet- be considered; and in a country where such a ter, in good bottles filled to very near the cork-culture is first attempted, the points to be ascerabout three-quarters of an inch at most-well tained are many-first, as to soil, exposition, and corked and waxed, and kept in a cellar where climate. It is very evident, that a satisfactory