412 GENERAL DIRECTIONS Part III. 



not fufFercd to boil,) till the fuperfluous moifture is evaporated. 

 Might not the fame method be prafliled to advantage in the making 

 of wine ? 



Mr. Miller fays, that if the ftalks of the bunches are cut half 

 through about a fortnight before they are gathered, the juice will 

 be rendered much richer ; becaufe not near fo great a quantity of 

 watery nourifliment will then enter the fruit. " This, continues 

 " lie, is pradlifed by the moft curious Vignerons in the fouth of 

 •*' France, where they make excellent wine. If, after the bunches 

 *' are cut, they are hung up in a dry room, upon ftrings, fo as not 

 " to touch each other, for a month before they are prefled, it will 

 ** alfo add greatly to the ilrength of the wine ; becaufe, in that 

 " time, a great quantity of the watery parts of the juices will eva- 

 ** porate. This is a conftant praftice with fome perfons who in- 

 ** habit the Tyrolefe, where is made a moll delicious rich wine, as 

 " hath been attefted by Dr. Burnet, in his travels." 



The acidity and waterinefs of the juice of the grapes may be 

 likewife remedied by a proper culture of the vine. If the heat of 

 the climate is not great enough to ripen the grapes, efpecially in 

 cold rainy feafons, the warmeft and drieft iituations and foils fhould 

 be chofen for the vines. A free and open expofu re, whereby the fun 

 may have accefs to the vines, might perhaps bring the wild vines 

 in America to ripen their fruit, and exalt its juice to a much higher 

 flavour. Mr. Miller, therefore, judicioufly advifes the people of 

 America to plant their vines on rihng grounds, where the bottom 

 is rocky or hard near the furface. 



The grapes in America are liable to burfl j which Mr. Miller 

 imputes, either to the too great moifture of the air in that country, 

 or to their receiving too much nourifhment from their over rich 

 foil. Gentlemen of America think their air, except in marfliy 

 countries, is drier than ours, and are therefore of opinion that the 

 burfting of their grapes is not owing to the too great moifture of 

 the air. If it proceeds from too much nourifhment, the remedy 

 would feem to be eafy: vi%. training up a greater number of 

 branches to confume that nourifhment. Others, perhaps with more 

 reafon, impute their burfting to their ripening too early, while the 

 heavy rains, frequent in autumn, fall. In this cafe, they may be 

 trained up againft lofty trees. The refledion of the heat, from 

 the earth, would then be lefs, and the leaves of the trees would 

 iJiclter the grapes from the fun. By this means, being later before 



they 



