ON THE ART OF MAKING WINE. 5 



account of the art, as it is practised in those more 

 favoured climates, where the grape is the sole 

 fruit in use for this purpose. The magnitude of 

 the subject, would have otherwise led me into 

 discussions, of a length incompatible with the lim- 

 its of the Society's publications. In condensing 

 and abridging the materials originally collected 

 for this purpose, I have perhaps reason to fear 

 that I have omitted matters essential to the per- 

 fect understanding of this subject. Yet I hope 

 that I have not neglected any thing which will 

 prove a material want, in reducing to practice the 

 views which I have held out, and that some light, 

 however feeble, will be afforded to those, who 

 have hitherto been guided by rules of a dogmati- 

 cal and positive nature. 



It is evident that, in the complicated process of 

 fermentation, some rules should be laid down as 

 the foundation of our proceedings, and the test to 

 which we must have recourse in examining the 

 accuracy of our manipulations. I cannot too 

 strongly enforce the necessity of familiarizing our- 

 selves with general principles, which alone can 

 assist us through the obscure paths, which this, as 

 well as every art connected with chemistry, is 

 obliged to pursue. And it is the address display- 

 ed by the artist in converting these general prin- 

 ciples to his changing processes, that will give him 

 a certain pre-eminence over those who are govern- 

 ed by invariable rules, In fact, however these 



