170 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



ment. It is only by experimenting that we can find how 

 much each variety should be Gallized to produce the 

 best possible wine. Nor are the grapes alike in all sea- 

 sons, and one season's product of the same grape may re- 

 quire different treatment than the other. To illustrate a 

 case in point : While experimenting with varieties, I 

 had, in the summer of 1866, enough of Rulander grapes^ 

 then a new variety, to make 5 gallons of pure juice, 

 which, when tried by the saccharometer, showed 104. 

 This was pressed and put into a 5-gallon cask. The 

 husks were thrown back into the fermenting vat, and 5 

 gallons of water, with 15 Ibs. of sugar added, bringing 

 the water up to 100, and fermented 48 hours, then 

 pressed and put into another 5-gallon cask. When press- 

 ing these my vintner thought that there was too much 

 flavor and character in the husks left to be thrown away, 

 and he once more added 5 gallons of water, with 15 Ibs. of 

 sugar, and fermented this three days and three nights, 

 then pressed, and put into a third 5-gallon cask. The 

 wines became clear at about the same time, had nearly 

 the same color, and when tested by several connoisseurs, 

 they pronounced all good, but No. 2 the smoothest and 

 finest wine ; No. 1 rather the fullest, but somewhat 

 more astringent, while No. 3 was but little inferior to 

 No. 2. This verdict was given without knowing how 

 the wines had been made. We then mixed the three 

 wines, equal parts, in a tumbler, and upon testing, found 

 the mixture a better wine than either was separately. 

 The three, after this trial, were put together, and made 

 a wine like very fine Golden Sherry, which took the first 

 premium as best light-colored wine of any variety, at the 

 Combined Exhibition of the Longworth Wine House and 

 the American Grape Growers' Association, at Cincinnati, 

 in 1867, in competition with over 30 samples of the finest 

 Catawbas, Delawares, and Herbemont, as well as numer- 

 ous other first premiums wherever exhibited. I have 



