354 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



secretary's list. 



For making money, believe the Ben Davis is the apple; but for market and for home 

 use, would want to plant about 100 as follows : 15 varieties, viz : 



Summer --4 sorts — Red June, 10; Early Harvest, 4; Red Astrachan, 3; Sweet 

 June, 3.— 20. 



Fall— 3 sorts— Fall Wine, 4; Rambo, 3; Maiden's Blush, 3.— 10. 



Winter— S Sorts— Ben Davis, 40; Winesap, 10; Rawles' Janet, 10; Jonathan, 3; 

 Willow Twig, 2; Westfleld Seek-no-Further, 2; Danver's Winter Sweet, 2; Ladies' 

 Sweeting, 1.-70. 



For an orchard not convenient to a good market, a less proportion of summer sorts 

 would be advisable; but good early apples near a market will be found generally 

 profitable . 



Dr. Charles Hay read an interesting report in regard to the vineyard of Mr. 

 Gabriel Marlot, in Bear Creek township — written in his native French, and trans- 

 lated for the Society by Col. John Hay. 



REPORT OF MR. MARLOT. 



Mj- vineyard is situated twelve miles East of Warsaw, and at the same distance from Keokuk, 

 Iowa. Bear Creek flows at its feet. It stands upon a hillside, sloping gently to the South. The soil 

 is composed of alluvium, of ferruginous deposits, of sandy clay and gravel. The subsoil is of claj^ 



At the time of planting, a part of this land was in timber and the restiu cultivation. I have planted 

 successively for 8 years upon this slope, where the air circulated freely, about fifteen acres of vines, 

 comprising at least 30 varieties, several of wliich were planted merely as experiments. 



The principal varieties in Concord, Clinton, Catawba, Norton's Virginia, Delaware, Diana, Herbe- 

 mont, Ives' Seedling, lona, etc. Ten acres were planted in trenches running down the slope, from 

 North to South. Five acres broken witli tlie plough and planted in the same direction. The vines 

 are trimmed in the same proportion to trellises and stakes. 



I have only covered a few delicate vai-ieties for the two last winters. Several varieties, which have 

 been thus tested, have not suffered by exposure. My last vintage produced 2,040 gallons of wine. 

 These are tlie methods which I employed in producing the three specimens of wine which I pre- 

 sented in January last to the Committee of Agriculture: 



vilification of red wines. 



Sound and ripe grapes should be gathered in fair weathers, and after the dew is off: they should be 

 examined with care before being crushed; the green, dry, or spoiled berries should be separated. 

 The berries should not be stemmed, the grapes, crushed by hand, should be gradually thrown into 

 the vat so as to fill it, the same day of the vintage. My fermenting vats are of oak, and of ordinary 

 form. I place them as far as possible protected from wind, from cold and heat. The generally 

 favorable temperature of our autumns in tliis region, ordinarily sets the must promptly in fermen- 

 tation, without necessitating those auxiliaries which are indispensable in Europe. The only care 1 

 have taken for, and during the fermentation, has been to cover the vats with a woolen cloth . In case 

 of a sudden lowering of the temperature, fermentation should be aided by a current of steam, 

 obtained by a distilling boiler, or by warming a portion of the must. If the fermentation should, 

 on the contrary, become too violent, it would be neces.sary to bring it back to a normal state by 

 application of ice or cold water. 



The fermentation in the vat is the most important operation of vinification. It is that which 

 decides as to the quality of the wine. The vat should be of oak, which contains a small quantity of 

 tannin— a natural element of wine. Tlie vat sliould have the form of a truncated cone, so as to con- 

 centrate the alcoholic set free by the must. It sliould not be entirely full. A space of ten or twelve 

 inches remains free in the upper portion. It is destined for the expansion of the ferment, and also 

 for the condensation of carbonic acid heavier than air, and which forms therefore a layer of gas, 

 partially intercepting the evaporatiou of tlie alcoholic vapor, and tlins prevent the must from losing 

 that which gives strength and richness to the wine. I let my wine remain in the open vat, as is cus- 

 tomary for the line wines of Burgundy and Medoc. The closed cask has also its partizans for the 

 commoner wines. It has of late years gained over the majority of wine-makers in France. It is 



