260 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



facilitate washing and cleaning, so that a man can slip into 

 them, and brush and rinse them from the inside. Oblong 

 casks save room, and are also easier cleaned than round. 

 But we also want frames to lay our casks upon. These can 

 be made from stout scantlings 4-6 inch, the first to be laid. 

 2^/2, feet from the wall, the second 2^ feet apart from it, and 

 supported by either cross pieces of timber, or better still, pil- 

 lars of stone every six feet. The inside scantling should be 

 two inches lower than the one next to the wall, so as to give 

 the cask a slight inclination forward. This will facilitate 

 racking and cleaning. If there is a concrete or cemented 

 floor in the cellar, it will also be cleanlier and better. 



On these scantlings we lay our casks, giving room to the 

 first one sufficient for a man to pass between the wall and 

 cask. There should also be room enough behind the casks, 

 to allow frequent inspection, lifting in racking, etc. There 

 also should be a space of six inches between the casks, so that 

 each one can be handled and moved independently from the 

 other. For smaller casks, the layers of scantling can of 

 course be nearer to each other. But all should be elevated 

 about eighteen inches from the ground floor, to admit of the 

 free use of utensils in racking. Before the casks are placed, 

 especially if new, they should be made wine green, as the gen- 

 eral term is, that is the woody taste contained in the oak, 

 should be drawn out. Soaking with cold water, and steaming 

 afterwards, is generally sufficient in smaller ones; but in large, 

 heavy casks, it is well to make some fresh lime water after 

 rinsing with cold water, by adding two pounds of lime to four 

 gallons of water; throwing the lime in first, then pouring in 

 the water, and by rolling and shaking, bring it into contact 

 with every part of the cask. This is about the proportion for 

 a thousand gallon cask. Then wash clean, emptying out all 

 the lime water, and the cask will be ready for use. Sal Soda, 

 is also used for the same purpose, and is equally good. 



