1 1 Oft the Cultivation of the Vine, 



thod is the more practicable, as not only fugar, but alfo 

 honey, molafles, and every other faccharine matter of an 

 inferior price can produce the fame effect, provided they have 

 no dif agreeable acceflary tafte which cannot be deftroyed by 

 good fermentation. 



Bullion caufed the juice of grapes, taken from his park at 

 Bellegames, to ferment by adding from 15 to 20 pounds of 

 fugar per muid *. The wine they produced was of a good 

 quality. 



Rozier, long ago, propofed to facilitate the fermentation of 

 Jnuft, and ameliorate wines by the addition of honey, in the 

 proportion of a pound to two hundred of muft. All thefe 

 precedes depend on the fame principle, viz. that no alcohol 

 is produced where there is no fugar; and that the formation 

 of alcohol, and confequently the generous nature of wine, is 

 conftantly proportioned to the quantity of fugar exifting in 

 the muft: it is thence evident that wine may be carried to 

 any degree of fpirituofity required, whatever may be the pri- 

 mitive quality of the muft, by adding to it more or lefs fugar. 

 Rozier has proved, and the fame refult may be obtained 

 by calculating the experiments of Bullion, that the value of 

 the produce of the fermentation is very far fuperior to the 

 price of the matters employed ; fo that thefe procefies may 

 be prefented as objects of oeconomy and matter of fpecula- 

 tion. 



It is poffible alfo to correct the quality of the grapes by 

 other means, which are daily pracYifed. A portion of the 

 muft is boiled in a kettle; it is concentrated to one-half, and 

 then poured into a vat : by this method the aqueous portion 

 is in part difiipated, and the portion of fugar being then lefs 

 diluted, the fermentation proceeds with more regularity, and 

 the produce is more generous. This proeefs, almoft always 

 ufeful in the north, cannot be employed in the fouth, but 

 when the feafon has been rainy or when the grapes have not 

 been fufficiently ripe. 



The fame end may be attained by drying the grapes in the 

 fun, or expofing them for the fame purpofe in Moves, as is 

 practifed in fome wine countries. 



It is perhaps for the fame reafon, always with a view to 

 abforb the moifture, that plafter is fometimes put into the 

 vat, as was practifed by the antients. 



It fometimes happens that the muft is both too thick and 



too faccharine : in that cafe the fermentation is always flow 



and imperfect ; the wines are fweet, lufcious, and thick ; and 



it *> not till after remaining a long time in the bottles that 



* ?8o quarts. 



it 



