and the Method of making JVirtes. 75. 



Darcet has communicated to me the following facts, which- 

 I take the earlieil opportunity of publifhing here, as they 

 may give rife to experiments proper for improving the art of 

 vinification. 



" I took," fays he, " a calk called half a muid, which 

 I filled with the juice of untrod grapes, and fuch as had run 

 of itfelf from the grapes as carried from the vineyard to the 

 prefs : it therefore had very little colour. 



" This calk contained about 150 quarts. I took about 

 thirty quarts, which I evaporated and concentrated to nearly 

 about one-eighth of the volume. of the liquor; four pounds 

 of common fugar were added, and a pound of grapes de 

 careme, after care had been taken to bruiie them : the whole, 

 fomewhat warm, was then put into the eafk, which was filled 

 up with the fame muft that had been kept apart. A bunch, 

 of about half an ounce, of abfinthium, dried and well pre- 

 ferved, was then put into the cafk, and the cafk was (lightly 

 covered, with its lid inverted : fermentation foon took place, 

 and proceeded in a brifk and free manner. 



ff Belides this piece of muft, I caufed to ferment alfo a 

 jar of the fame containing about twenty- five or thirtv quarts, 

 with half an ounce of fugar per quart: this wine fermented 

 very well in this jar, and it ferved me for filling up during 

 the fermentation and after the firft drawing oiF, which was 

 performed at the ufual time, and repeated a year after : it 

 was afterwards put into bottles at the expiration of a year, or 

 in the following winter. 



" This wine was made in September 1788, during fine 

 weather, and in a very good year. 



" It kept very well even in the bottle, it neither became 

 four nor turbid at the end of feveral days \ I have (till two or 

 three bottles of it : it begins to fade." 



IV. Ethiology of Fermentation. 



The phenomena and refults of fermentation arc fo highly 

 interefting in the eyes of the chemill and the agrieulturift, 

 that, after having conlidered them merely under a practical 

 point of view, we mull now consider them under the relation 

 of fcieuce. 



The two phenomena which feem mod worthy of attention 

 from the chemili, are the disappearance of the faccharine 

 principle and the formation of alcohol. 



As in fermentation there is no abforption of air, nor addi-. 



tion of any foreign matter, it is evident that all changes 



8 which 



