ih^ ManufaBunng of Verd'igrift. *j^ 



Montpellier is divided into twenty-five laminie, forming 

 almoft all oblong fquarcs of from four to fix inches in length, 

 three in breadth, and weighing about four ounces. They 

 are beat feparately with the hammer on an anvil to fmootli 

 their furfaces, and to givg the copper the neceflary confiftcnce. 

 Without this precaution it would exfoliate, and it would 

 be more difficult to fcrape the furface in order to detach the 

 X)xydated craft. Jjcfides this, fcales of pure metal would he 

 taken off, v/hich would haften the confumption of the copper. 



The hu(ks of grapes, known at Montpellier under the 

 pame of racquc, were formerly thrown on the dung-rhill 

 after the poultry had picked out the fmali Hones contained 

 in them. At prefent they are preferved for making verdi- 

 grife, and fold at the rate of from fifteen to twenty livres per 

 vtu'id. The preparation of them is as follows : x\.ftcr the 

 vintage is finifhed, the huflcs are fubjeftcd to the prefs, in 

 order to extract all the wine with whicii they may be im- 

 pregnated, and they arp then put into vats, where they are 

 prefled dqwn with the feet to fill up all the vacuities anJ 

 render the mafs as compadl as polTible. The coverings of 

 thefe vats are carefully faftened down, and they are preferved 

 for ufe in a dry cool place. 



Thefe hufks are not always of the fame quality: when the 

 grapes contain little of the faccharine matter, when the fea- 

 fon has been rainy, the fermentation incomplete, or when 

 the wine is not generous, the huHcs are attended with feveral 

 faults. I , Ti>e)' are difficult to be preferved, and there is 

 great danger of their foon being fpoilt. 3. They produce 

 very little cft'^ft, cannot be pafily heated, fend forth very lit- 

 tle of the acetous odour, and make the plates of copper fwcat 

 without fnewfng cfflorefcence on their furface. Indepen- 

 dently of the nature of the grapes and the fiate of the wine, 

 the quality of t^ic hufks varies alfo according as they have 

 been cxprefll'd with more or lefs care. Hufks which have 

 not been much prelfcd, produce a far greater cffeft than thofe 

 )vhUh have been dried. To explain Uicir different cfTeds, 



it 



