and the Method of making Wines. 309 



"wine turbid; and care muft be taken not to draw itoffwhile 

 thefe prevail. 



Baccius has left us fome excellent precepts refpe6ting the 

 mod favourable periods for the defecation of wine. He ad- 

 vifes the weakeft wines, that is to fav, thofe produced from 

 fat covered foil, to be drawn off at the winter folftice; mo- 

 derate wines, in the fpring; and the moft generous, during 

 rummer. He gives as a general precept, not to draw oft' 

 wine but when the north wind prevails; and he adds, that 

 wine drawn off at the time of full moon is converted into 

 vinegar ! 



The manner of drawing off wine can be a matter of indif- 

 ference only to thofe unacquainted with the effect of atmo- 

 fpheric air on that liquid : by opening the tap, or placing a 

 cock at about four inches from the bottom of the cafk, the 

 wine which runs off becomes aerated, and determines move- 

 ments in the lees ; fo that, under this double view, the wine 

 acquires a difpofkion to become four. A part of thefe in- 

 conveniences has been obviated by drawing off the wine by 

 means of a fyphon; the motion is then gentler, and by thefe 

 means one may penetrate to any depth at pleafure, without 

 agitating the lees. But all thefe methods are attended with 

 faults, which have been completely remedied by the help of 

 a pump, the ufe of which has been eftabiifhed in Champagne 

 and other wine countries. 



To a leather pipe, of from four to fix feet in length, and 

 two inches in diameter, are adapted at each end wooden 

 pipes, nine or ten inches in length, which deereafe in dia- 

 meter towards the ends, and are fixed to the leather pipe by 

 means of a piece of packthread. The bung of the cafk in- 

 tended to be filled is taken out, and one of the extremities of 

 the pipe is put into it. A good coek is fixed in the cafk to 

 be emptied two or three inches from the bottom, and into 

 this is inferted the other extremity of the pipe. 



By this mechanifm alone, the half of the one cafk is emptied 

 into the other : for this purpofe nothing is neceffary but to 

 open the cock; and the remainder may be made to pafs by 

 a very fimple procefs, for which a pair of bellows about 

 two feet in length, comprehending the handles, and ten 

 inches in breadth, are employed. The bellows force the air 

 through a hole formed at the anterior part of the fmall end : 

 a fmall leather valve, placed below the fmail hole, prevents 

 the air from rufliing out when the bellows are opened, and 

 to the extremity of the bellows is adapted a perpendicular 

 wooden pipe to convey the air downwards : this tube is fitted 

 into the ouogfaek in inch a manner, that when the bellows} 



Vol. X. O ar< 



