FERMENTATION. 253 



ble signs of fermentation. A few weeks ago I paid a visit 

 to a private still in a Swiss chalet ; and this is what I 

 saw. In the peasant's bedroom was a cask with a very 

 large bunghole carefully closed. The cask contained 

 cherries which had lain in it for fourteen days. It was 

 not entirely filled with the fruit, an air-space being 

 left above the cherries when they were put in. I had 

 the bung removed, and a small lamp dipped into this 

 space. Its flame was instantly extinguished. The oxy- 

 gen of the air had entirely disappeared, its place being 

 taken by carbonic acid gas. 1 I tasted the cherries: 

 they were very sour, though when put into the cask they 

 were sweet. The cherries and the liquid associated 

 with them were then placed in a copper boiler, to which 

 a copper head was closely fitted. From the head pro- 

 ceeded a copper tube which passed straight through a 

 vessel of cold water, and issued at the other side. 

 Under the open end of the tube was placed a bottle to 

 receive the spirit distilled. The flame of small wood- 

 splinters being applied to the boiler, after a time vapour 

 rose into the head, passed through the tube, was con- 

 densed by the cold of the water, and fell in a liquid 

 fillet into the bottle. On being tasted, it proved to be 

 that fiery and intoxicating spirit known in commerce as 

 Kirsch or Kirschwasser. 



The cherries, it should be remembered, were left to 

 themselves, no ferment of any kind being added to 

 them. In this respect what has been said of the cherry 

 applies also to the grape. At the vintage the fruit of 

 the vine is placed in proper vessels, and abandoned to 

 its own action. It ferments, producing carbonic acid ; 

 its sweetness disappears, and at the end of a certain 



1 The gas which is exhaled from the lungs after the oxygen of 

 the air has done its duty in purifying the blood, the same also which 

 effervesces from soda water and champagne. 



