lo Dec, 1909.] 



Grape Stemincrs. 



759 



on the market here about 1880 and which, owing to the satisfactory work 

 it performed, so far as removing the stalks from a large quantity of grapes 

 is concerned, rapidly became \ery popular. And yet the continuous 

 beaters were abandoned at an early date in France. It was, in fact, 

 onl\ in the very earliest French machines that the\- were used — in that, 

 for example, of Bouilly (Bordeaux), first made in 1861. As early as 1867, 

 however, Ahbe Laporte introduced a machine with a spiral rcjw of pegs, 

 and this appears to have 1 een the prototype of all mofiern French 

 stemmers. In 1879, M. Gaillot, of Eeaune (Burgundy) brought out 

 the machine which this firm is still manufacturing, with but slight modi- 

 fications, at the present da\ . The late Baron de Pury imported one of 

 the Gaillot stemmers nearlv thirty years ago. This machine is still work- 

 ing at Yeringberg vine\ard and ".s i;i excellent order, showing scarcely any 

 signs of wear. 



FIG. 



roy's stemmer and crusher. 



There are, as might be expected, many different French makes on the 

 market differing somewhat, but having, as a common feature, the helix 

 of pegs instead of continuous beaters. Fig. i shows one of Mabille's 

 stemmers. This well-known firm make several different models ; that 

 figured here is one of their smaller sizes. In Fig. 2 is to be seen a Coq 

 machine of larger size, capable, with its double stemmer, of treating a 

 very large quantity of grapes per hour. 



It will be noted that in these two machines the grapes are crushed 

 before being stemmed. This is bv far the more usual way in French 

 marhines. Much discussion has taken place as to whether stemming 

 should precede or follow crushing. Although some authorities prefer 

 the former method, which is in fact the oldest idea, the practical advan- 

 tages, except in the case of making white wine from red grapes, do not 

 seem very marked; stemming is more easily and completely performed 

 if the grapes have first been crushed, for which reason the latter method 

 has, until recentlv, hoen almost the universal rule in France.* 



* See M. Char\et in Heme de Vlticultuir, Vo]. W'., \\ .'ilP. 



