THE MANUFACTURE OF WINE. 291 



"I believe I advised you that the must and wine of the 

 Clinton grape differed from any I have ever seen. The must 

 weighs very heavy, indicating a large quantity of saccharine 

 matter; the wine, fully fermented, acid and weighing but little, 

 and indicating but little spirit. Of the grapes you sent last 

 spring I made two kinds of wine. One part I pressed as soon 

 as worked, and put at the rate of seventeen ounces of sugar to 

 the gallon of must ; the other I worked and left to ferment in 

 the skins before pressing, and put no sugar. The first is a beau- 

 tiful dark red, which I have never seen equalled, and very clear. 

 It has no sweetness and is rather dry, but of fine flavor. The 

 other is clear, very dark red, and more acid, but of fine flavor. 

 I deem that in our warmer latitude the must will have more 

 sugar, and will make a valuable red wine, an article we have 

 not at present. 



" I am very desirous of giving the grape a further trial, and 

 shall esteem it a favor if you will engage and send me from two 

 to five bushels of grapes, and let them be as ripe as possible. 

 I shall also be pleased to get from two to five thousand cut- 

 tings, I will next spring graft a dozen roots with this grape, 

 and the next season guarantee to have grapes enough to test 

 how they will suit our climate, as I have had grafts grow the 

 first season from ten to thirty feet, and often bear some fruit the 

 same season." 



The following letter, received from a lady whose 

 wine we can testify to be of very superior excellence, 

 contains directions slightly different from those in 

 ordinary use, and in some respects perhaps superior. 

 We give it in her own words, which it may be but 

 justice to say, were not originally intended for pub- 

 lication : 



" After the grapes are gathered, pick carefully from the clus- 

 ters all the good ones. Wash these, being careful not to mash 

 the seeds (we had a little machine for this purpose that turned 



