FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 431 



added during the fermentation, which will take place again. 

 During this second fermentation, the cask must be kept 

 nearly full, so that the troth or yeast will run out of the 

 bung- hole. When the fermentation has ceased, which will 

 be at the end of a month, the cask is to be stoped tight and 

 kept a year, or more, and then bottled off, 



This wine will be very good at the end of a year and a 

 half; but will improve much by being kept four or five 

 years ; as it will then be equal to any of the strong cordial 

 foreign wines, and by proper substances, to give it color 

 and flavor, may be made to resemble them. 



This is the most perfect of artificial wines, but others 

 may be made cheaper ; such, for instance, as supplying the 

 place of every four pounds of raisins by one pound of sugar, 

 so that only a fourth of the quantity of raisins above men- 

 tioned may be required; or by adding a proportion of wtll- 

 rectified whiskey to the cask when closed, in which case 

 less raisins and less sugar would be requisite, 



Any kind of large raisins will answer as well as Malaga; 

 but the thiner the skin, and the sweeter the pulp, the better 

 the wine will be. 



To make Birch-wine. After collecting the sap of the 

 birch, it is to be made into wine before any fermentation 

 takes place ; and for this purpose, a pint of honey or a 

 pound of sugar is to be added to every gallon of the sap, 

 the whole to be well stired up, and then boiled for about an 

 hour, with a few cloves and a little lemon-peel; during 

 which, the scum is carefully to be taken off. When cool, 

 a few spoonsful of new ale or yeast is to be added, to in- 

 duce a due degree of fermentation; and after this has ceas- 

 ed, or nearly so, the liquor is to be bottled and put away in 

 a cool place in the cellar, for use; though, no doubt, it be- 

 comes improved by age. 



When properly made, the liquor, however, becomes so 

 strong that it frequently bursts the bottles, unless they are 

 placed in spring-water. Stone bottles are said to be the 

 best for containing the liquor, as they are stronger than 

 glass. 



The black-birch affords the greatest quantity of sap, which 

 may be drawn from the tree in plenty, by boring a hole into 

 the southerly side, in the manner directed tor extracting 

 the sap from the maple. 

 See MAPLE. 



The holes are to be pluged up, when no more sap is to 

 be drawn. 



Perhaps a liquor equally good might be made, in some 

 similar manner, of the sap of the maple, and of the juice 

 of watermelons, especially of those raised in the Southern 

 States. 



