ON THE ART OF MAKING WINE, 9 



crystallizes without fermenting ; nor does even the 

 residuary syrup, or mother water as it may be called, 

 undergo this process. But if it has been imperfect- 

 ly refined, the remaining syrup, will, after the de- 

 position of the crystals, contain so large a propor- 

 tion of the sweet principle, that it will readily run 

 into fermentation ; an accident well known to con- 

 fectioners. The juice of the sugar-cane readily 

 allows of the separation of the sugar from the 

 sweet principle, and has hence become the almost 

 exclusive subject of this manufacture. The resi- 

 duary matter, known by the name of Molasses, is 

 the sweet principle of the French Chemists, and 

 is a peculiar compound of sugar, with vegetable 

 extractive matter, similar to that which exists in 

 the generality of sweet fruits. In considering this 

 substance, therefore, it will be most consistent with 

 the accuracy of chemical language, to speak of it 

 as a peculiar compound of sugar and vegetable mat- 

 ter, and not to consider it, with Deyeux, Proust, 

 and Seguin, as a simple substance. Hence we 

 should not say with these chemists, that in some 

 fruits, and in some varieties of the grape, sugar 

 predominates, and in others, the sweet principle ; 

 but that the sugar of the fruit is in some cases 

 combined with more, and in others with less of the 

 vegetable extract. These varying proportions of 

 the two substances under consideration, are the 

 cause of the various effects, which are observed in 

 he results of fermentation in different fruits, if 



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