204 THE ART OF WINE MAKING. 



Of the Crushing, or operation of the Mashing 

 Tub. 



THE fruit of the vine contains within itself 

 all the elements and principles of fermentation 

 but these, isolated as they are in the single grape, 

 require to be brought in contact to the object of 

 a mutual decomposition, and the conversion of 

 the natural juices, which are soft and saccharine, 

 into a liquor, vinous and spirituous. The crushing 

 accomplishes this object. It breaks up the same 

 cellular cavities in which the leaven lies dormant, 

 and which contain the saccharine principle. 

 They are thus mixed and associated together, 

 agitating each other in active movement, and giv- 

 ing birth to the various phenomena, which to- 

 gether constitute the process of fermentation. 

 But is it, or is it not, judicious to detach the grapes 

 from the stems ? 



This question, once so warmly contested by 

 cultivators, has ceased longer to agitate the agri- 

 cultural community. It is not at this day the 

 subject of theory or speculation. It is now per- 

 fectly understood, that the stem of the grape con- 

 tains neither the aroma, nor the saccharine sub- 

 stance, and imparts to the wine neither body nor 

 flavour. But the acidifying principle it contains, 

 relieves the flatness and insipidity which charac- 

 terize the vines of northern countries, where the 

 vintage is frequently accomplished during a cold 

 and humid season. In the districts, for example, 

 of Orleans, they have been compelled to aban- 

 don the system of detaching, as it has there been 



