Seasonable Work for the Cellar aiid Vineyard. 455 



SEASONABLE WORK FOR THE CELLAR 

 AND VINEYARD. 



By P. A. Wyatt. 



January. 



Cellar. 



As this mouth is always one of our hottest, care should be taken 

 to keep the temperature of the cellar as cool as possible. Opening 

 the doors and ventilators during the night, and closing them in the 

 early morning, will tend to effect this. 



As the third racking should be completed before this month, unless 

 absolutely necessary, leave the wine alone, except to see that the casks 

 are kept full to the bung. 



Where wines are inclined to "turn" or "go off," rack into clean, 

 well-sulphured casks, and fine; when it becomes bright, rack again. 

 Where it is ])0ssible these wines should be sterilised. 



Vineyard. 



As the season is conducive to the development of black spot and 

 oidium, care should be taken to examine the* vines for these diseases, 

 and should they appear, treat with Bordeaux mixture (summer 

 strength) for the former, and sulphur for the latter. Keep the land 

 well stirred so as to retain all the moisture possible. Where irrigation 

 is applied, it should be completed early in the month, and the land 

 well worked directly afterwards. 



February. 



Cellar. 



The inside of the cellar should be whitewashed with fresh lime- 

 wash, and everything thoroughly overhauled that will be required for 

 the vintage that is now approaching. 



Wash presses, crushers, elevators, coolers, pumps, &c., with boil- 

 ing water, to which 10 per cent, of sulphuric acid has been added, so 

 as to destroy any moulds or bad g'erms that may be on these articles. 

 Casks that are found to have a bad or foreign smell (mould, sour, 

 putrified lees, or bad spirit), treat with the following mixture, 

 recommended by R. Dubois, in the " Agricultural Journal " of the 

 Cape of Good Hope : — 



Common Salt, 2 ozs. 



Powdered Peroxide of Manganese, IJ ozs. 



Sulphuric Acid (concentrated) 3J ozs, 



Boiling Water, J gallon 



(This is sufficient for a hogshead.) 

 Pour the ingredients into the cask, and bung securely, shake a little, and let it 

 remain still for three hours. Rinse with cold water until it comes out bright and 

 without smell. 



It may, perhaps, be found necessary to repeat this operation, but 

 it is most effective. 



